LKQ Academy expands EV training spaces to help address skills gap
LKQ Academy is increasing the number of seats available on its electric and hybrid vehicle training courses by 50 per cent in 2026 to help address the aftermarket skills gap.
The UK’s leading automotive training provider is adding 500 new seats across its EV courses, bringing the total to 1,500.
Recent research from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) found that only one in four (26 per cent) UK technicians are qualified to work on electric vehicles (EVs), with skills spread unevenly across the regions.
It also found the number of technicians gaining an EV qualification in Q3 2025 fell by around 13 per cent compared to Q1 of the same period.
The LKQ Academy offers EV training programmes at all different skill levels. Among the courses available are the Level 2 and 3 IMI Award in Electric/Hybrid (covering routine maintenance activities, repair and replacement), the Level 4 Award (diagnosis, testing and repair of electric and hybrid vehicles and components), and the ‘Becoming an EV Workshop’ course, which prepares office staff and the workshop for electric vehicle servicing.
The UK’s independent aftermarket faces a similar challenge when it comes to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), with two-thirds of garages lacking a technician qualified to carry out ADAS calibration and repair work.
To help address this gap, LKQ Academy offers its IMI-accredited ADAS AOM230 one-day course, which equips technicians with the knowledge and practical skills required to carry out ADAS calibrations and correctly interpret vehicle-specific system data, supporting safe and compliant repairs.
Lee Chapman head of support and LKQ Academy, said: “ADAS calibration isn’t just something you think about after a big accident repair. Something as routine as replacing a windscreen, carrying out suspension work or even doing a wheel alignment can disturb a sensor, and once that happens it needs checking and recalibrating properly – otherwise you’re handing back a vehicle that isn’t operating as it should.”
With vehicle technology continuing to evolve rapidly, many garages are also finding that traditional diagnostic tools alone are no longer enough to complete certain advanced procedures.
Chapman continued: “Training is one part of closing the skills gap, but ongoing technical support is just as important. Even experienced technicians can come up against complex coding, programming or calibration procedures.
“Through LKQ Remote Diagnostic, garages investing in ADAS capability can access real-time assistance from specialist technicians to complete advanced electronic procedures. It means more work can stay in-house, without the need for significant additional investment or referring jobs back to the dealer.”