get things moving at autocity

Context

Automotive Skills is the Sector Skills Council for the retail motor industry. The organisation's role is to "boost competitiveness through skills development" and that means getting the right people into the industry and giving them the best training to keep them there.

Working with specialist communications agency, LRI, we had already successfully launched "Get Things Moving" an industry-wide careers helpline – a joint initiative by learndirect and Automotive Skills. The team was once again called into action. Automotive Skills was identifying possible channels through which to promote career opportunities within the industry to 16-19 year olds throughout the UK, and we were asked to take the wheel.

Objectives

• Deliver a careers advice tool useful to professional advisors, schools and individuals alike
• Engage with young people in their final year of secondary education and recent school leavers
• Demonstrate that there is more to the industry than oily hands and used car salesmen
• Promote the opportunities for both sexes
• Show career progression, the training and available apprenticeships
• Create enthusiasm and a drive to investigate further information on the website

Solution

Focus groups identified possible creative routes and from this we developed the "AutoCity" CD-ROM: a 3D, game-style environment in which motor industry careers are explored and explained within their natural setting – a city. As well as enabling the audience to freely explore the city and discover for themselves the businesses and roles available, we created the 'Careers Hub'. The Hub acts as a virtual career advisor, questioning the audience about likes, dislikes and aspirations and selecting relevant opportunities for further exploration. Once a particular career is selected, a fast-paced presentation acts as an audio-visual guide to information on the role, career progression, qualifications needed, the training on offer and most importantly how to get started.

The creation of the content for the CD-ROM was particularly challenging as it had to reflect the vast array of sizes and types of businesses operating in the industry, from the large dealerships to the smaller independents. LRI concentrated on the communication strategy – liaising with the industry to identify their needs, listen to opinions and to ask their advice – and e-scape media focussed on the design, the technology and how to maximise the benefit from using the tool, given the concentration span of much of the audience.

For further examples of the work we carry out, please contact us.