Britain faces a looming skills crisis in the automotive sector as new data reveals a sharp decline in young people pursuing motoring apprenticeships, despite growing demand for practical, hands-on careers.
Analysis by Halfords of Office for National Statistics apprenticeship data shows that whilst overall apprenticeship starts across the UK have increased by 4% year on year, the number of young people aged 16 and over beginning motor vehicle apprenticeships has fallen by 14% over the past three years.
The ONS data, published in November 2025, shows that just 3,200 young people aged 16 and over started motor vehicle apprenticeships in the UK during 2024/2025, down from 3,730 three years earlier. This decline comes at a time when UK industries including engineering, construction and vehicle repair are facing acute skills shortages.
The findings come as new research commissioned by Halfords reveals strong appetite amongst young people for practical, hands-on careers. The survey of 1,000 UK parents and 1,000 children found that three quarters (76%) of children said they felt it was important that their future job involves practical, hands-on skills such as working with tools, machinery or technology.
Six in ten children said they would be attracted to a job involving fixing or maintaining technology such as vehicles, robotics or electrical systems.
Parents share this enthusiasm for vocational careers. Half (50%) now place more importance on practical, hands-on skills than they did two years ago, with this sentiment felt most strongly amongst younger parents (61% of those aged 18–34). The vast majority of parents (74%) say they find practical careers appealing for their children.
The research also highlights growing concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on future employment. Two thirds (66%) of parents say they are concerned about how AI will affect their children's job prospects, with one in four (24%) very concerned.
Nearly four in ten (37%) of the children surveyed still think AI will make it harder for them to get a job, driving increased interest in careers requiring hands-on technical expertise that cannot easily be automated.
Halfords has called on the government to strengthen vocational and practical training within its AI Skills Framework, launched in October 2025, and to put practical education at the heart of its AI and skills strategy.
Henry Birch, chief executive of Halfords, said: "The skills gap has been growing for years and, to future-proof the next generation, we need more education and greater incentives for young people to pursue vocational and practical careers. In the years ahead, skilled trades and technical expertise will remain essential.
"That's why we're calling on government and industry to work together to make hands-on careers more accessible, more visible and more valued, and reverse the decline in motoring apprentices before it begins to affect Britain's ability to keep moving."
The company is taking action to address the skills shortage through its own apprenticeship programmes. Halfords currently employs 420 apprentices working in its garages and across its support centre, management and leadership programmes.
The retailer will soon open a new training academy in Dunstable, Hertfordshire, with plans to enrol up to 250 new autocentre apprentices over the next year. The apprenticeship scheme gives young people the opportunity to gain recognised qualifications whilst working in one of Halfords' UK Autocentres.
Halfords has also announced the renewal of its Gold membership of the Automotive 30% Club, reinforcing the company's commitment to championing gender balance and inclusion across the automotive industry. Currently close to one in ten of Halfords' apprentices are women, and the company is working to support more women to enter the industry and strengthen their career development and progression.
The decline in motoring apprenticeships comes at a critical time for the automotive sector as it navigates the transition to electric vehicles and increasingly sophisticated vehicle technology, which will require a skilled workforce to maintain and repair.
Tagged with: motoring apprenticeships UK, Halfords apprentices, automotive skills shortage, EV technician training, Office for National Statistics data, AI Skills Framework, Dunstable training academy, Automotive 30% Club, UK autocentres, vocational education UK
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