Garages warned to ensure their technicians have up-to-date skills and qualification ahead of MOT rush

A surge in new car sales means over 400,000 cars will be illegal from September if their initial MOT isn’t carried out. The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) is calling on garages to make sure their technicians have the up-to-date MOT skills and qualification in order to reap the financial benefits of the busiest testing period in the automotive calendar.

Since April 2016, all MOT Testers in each vehicle class are required to complete a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme of MOT annual training, requiring at least 3 hours per year and a minimum of 16 hours learning over a 5 year period, as well as passing an online test each year.

Steve Nash, Chief Executive at the IMI, said: “Its crucial garages make sure their technicians have the training and qualifications that are now needed to carry out MOT’s. The MOT sector has experienced a lot of changes over the last year with the introduction of the annual training and assessment, but if these new regulations mean safeguarding both vehicle technicians and the public by upskilling workforces we believe this is always a positive thing.

“We know that September is a very busy time for all MOT Testers so, at the IMI, we have made it incredibly simple for them to complete the annual training and assessment via any mobile device.”

The IMI MOT qualification package consists of Tester courses in both Light Vehicle (classes 4 and 7) and Motorcycle (classes 1 and 2) and the Test Centre Management qualification – all MOT Testers can access this training via the IMI website. (www.theimi.org.uk/mot)