Automotive Vehicle Body Repair
Overview
This page provides information and data on the Automotive Vehicle Body Repair sector, which is one component of the Automotive industry.
Activities in the Automotive Vehicle Body Repair sector focus on repair and modification service work for registered vehicles. Activities of workers in the sector include:
- vehicle body repair
- vehicle refinishing
- windscreen repair
- automotive trimming
- other services.
Most of the businesses in this sector are either sole proprietors or small businesses. The sector is becoming increasingly competitive and complex due to factors such as technological change, the rising cost of imported materials and capital expenditure associated with compliance requirements. As a result of these trends, there has been business consolidation and rationalisation, the adoption of Small and Medium Area Repair Techniques (SMART), and the establishment of partnerships with insurers.
Nationally recognised training for the Automotive Vehicle Body Repair sector is delivered under the AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package.
For information on other automotive related industry sectors, visit the Automotive cluster page.
Information sourced from the Automotive IRC's 2018 Skills Forecast.
All data sources are available at the end of the page.
IRC and Skills Forecasts
Employment trends
Employment snapshot
Census data indicates that there were 36,161 people employed in the Automotive Body, Paint and Interior Repair industry class in 2016. Within this industry class, some of the main employing occupations are Panelbeaters, Vehicle Body Builders and Trimmers, Vehicle Painters, Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories Fitters and Car Detailers.
Employment numbers in these occupations varied over the period between 2000 and 2018 but overall have not increased greatly. Similar demand for these occupations is expected to continue up until 2023.
Training trends
Training snapshot
In 2017, there were just under 5,500 program enrolments, up about 1,000 from the 2016 enrolment numbers. In contrast, there were just over 1,000 program completions, down about 300 on the 2014, 2015 and 2016 course completion numbers. A large majority of enrolments (about 90%) were for certificate III level courses.
Just over half of the enrolments in 2017 were for qualifications relating to automotive body repair technology. A further 38% of enrolments were for qualifications relating to automotive refinishing technology. The main intended occupations for qualifications related to automotive body repair technology were Vehicle Body Builder, followed by Panel Builder and finally Mechanic’s Assistant. For automotive refinishing technology, the main intended occupation was Vehicle Painter.
Over half of the enrolments in 2017 were with TAFE institutes (57%), while a further 42% were with private training providers. However, all enrolments for vehicle loss assessing qualifications were with private providers. Most subjects for qualifications were government funded (82%), with a further 9% being domestic fee for service and the remaining 9% international fee for service. About 80% of students came from either New South Wales, Victoria, or Queensland.
Apprentice and trainee commencements and completions have fallen somewhat between 2010 and 2017. In 2017 there were just under 1,500 commencements and about 700 completions. The main intended occupations for these apprenticeships and traineeships were Vehicle Body Builder and Vehicle Painter. About 30% of apprenticeships and traineeships were in New South Wales, with a further 29% in Victoria and 19% in Queensland.
For more data specific to your occupation, industry or training package, visit NCVER’s VET students by industry.
For more data specific to your region visit NCVER’s Atlas of total VET. If you are prompted to log in, select cancel and you will continue to be directed to the program.
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Industry insights
Industry insights on skills needs
The Automotive IRC's 2018 Skills Forecast indicates that technological change is impacting on the skill needs of this sector. An example of this is the use of high-strength skills.
In addition, the five highest ranked generic skills for the sector are:
- design mindset/thinking critically/systems thinking/solving problems
- communication/collaboration including virtual collaboration/social intelligence
- language, literacy and numeracy
- technology use and application
- learning agility/information literacy/intellectual autonomy and self-management.
The Directions in Australia’s automotive industry: an industry report 2017 provides estimates of current and projected skills shortages in Automotive Repair and Maintenance. Occupations relevant to the Automotive Vehicle Body Repair sector and the projected number of shortages for 2018–19 include:
| Vehicle Spray Painter | 2,653 |
| Panel Beater | 2,634 |
| Vehicle Detailer | 337 |
| Vehicle Trimmer | 144 |
| Automotive Glazier | 104 |
The Automotive Industry Skills Forecast also identifies skills shortages in the medium to long term for Vehicle Body Repair Technicians and Vehicle Refinishing Technicians. These shortages are expected to be greatest in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Western Australia.
Links and resources
Below is a list of industry-relevant organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.
Industry associations and advisory bodies
Australian Motor Body Repairers Association (AMBRA)
Australian Association of Progressive Repairers
Australian Automotive Recyclers Association ARAA - Auto Recyclers Association of Australia
Auto Parts Recyclers Association of Australia (APRAA)
Auto Recyclers Association of Australia
Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Australia (CVIAA)
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
Federation of Automotive Parts Manufacturers
Institute of Accident Assessors (IAA)
Institute of Automotive Mechanical Engineers (IAME)
Motor Traders’ Association of New South Wales (MTA NSW)
Motor Trades Association of the Northern Territory (MTA Northern Territory)
Motor Trades Association of Australia
Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTA Queensland)
Motor Trade Association of South Australia (MTA South Australia)
Motor Trade Association of Western Australia (MTA WA)
Tasmanian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (TACC)
Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC)
Employee associations
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
Relevant research
Directions in Australia’s automotive industry: an industry report 2017 - Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce
Data sources and notes
Department of Employment, 2018, Employment Projections, available from the Labour Market Information Portal
- by ANZSCO, selected occupations, employment projections to May 2023
- 3241 Panelbeaters
- 3242 Vehicle Body Builders and Trimmers
- 3243 Vehicle Painters
- 8994 Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories Fitters
- 8111 Car Detailers.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Employed persons by Occupation unit group of main job (ANZSCO), Sex, State and Territory, August 1986 onwards, 6291.0.55.003 - EQ08, viewed 1 November 2018 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003May%202018?OpenDocument
- Employed total by ANZSCO, 2000 to 2018, May Quarter
- 3241 Panelbeaters
- 3242 Vehicle Body Builders and Trimmers
- 3243 Vehicle Painters
- 8994 Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories Fitters
- 8111 Car Detailers.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, 2016 Census – employment, income and unpaid work, TableBuilder. Findings based on use of ABS TableBuilder data.
- Employment level by 4 digit ANZSIC 9412 Automotive Body, Paint and Interior Repair industry class.
Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses from the following training package or qualifications:
- AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package
- Automotive and Marine Trimming Technology
- AUR32312 - Certificate III in Automotive and Marine Trimming Technology
- AUR32316 - Certificate III in Automotive and Marine Trimming Technology
- Automotive Body Repair Technology
- AUR20905 - Certificate II in Automotive Vehicle Body
- AUR20912 - Certificate II in Automotive Body Repair Technology
- AUR20916 - Certificate II in Automotive Body Repair Technology
- AUR30805 - Certificate III in Automotive Vehicle Body
- AUR32112 - Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology
- AUR32116 - Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology
- AUR40712 - Certificate IV in Automotive Body Repair Technology
- AUR40716 - Certificate IV in Automotive Body Repair Technology
- Automotive Glazing Technology
- AUR32212 - Certificate III in Automotive Glazing Technology
- AUR32216 - Certificate III in Automotive Glazing Technology
- Automotive Refinishing Technology
- AUR32412 - Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology
- AUR32416 - Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology
- Vehicle Loss Assessing
- AUR40511 - Certificate IV in Vehicle Loss Assessing
- AUR40512 - Certificate IV in Vehicle Loss Assessing
- AUR40514 - Certificate IV in Vehicle Loss Assessing.
This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.
Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:
- 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 program enrolments
- 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 program completions.
Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Location data uses student residence. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions, please refer to the Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.
Low counts (less than 5) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.
Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. This can lead to situations where the total sum of proportions in a chart may not add up to exactly 100%.
AUR Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including:
- 2010 to 2017 commencements
- 2010 to 2017 completions
- 2017 apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2017 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.
Generic skills data have been extracted from the Automotive IRC's 2018 Skills Forecast.