Specialist recruiter Glen Callum Associates (GCA) has launched a new campaign to spotlight the career opportunities in the automotive aftermarket.
Titled ‘Our Aftermarket’, the campaign includes a series of video interviews with industry figureheads and calls for businesses to better promote the sector as a long-term, progressive career destination.
As part of the initiative, GCA director, Glen Shepherd, sits down with three industry leaders: Nigel Duffield, director of Northern Europe at PHINIA Delphi, Steve Jarnet, commercial director at Corteco UK and Neil Grant, managing director at Hella UK.
Each shares their own career journey through the industry, highlighting the real-world progression opportunities and dispelling myths about what a career in the aftermarket actually looks like.
Shephard explained: “For too long, the term ‘aftermarket’ has been misunderstood.
“People still think it’s all spanners and spark plugs, but in reality, this is a £21 billion sector in the UK alone, spanning IT, data, diagnostics, EV tech, digital transformation and a plethora of senior leadership roles.
“Our campaign aims to shift the narrative and celebrate the diversity, innovation and career longevity this space truly offers.”
The campaign highlights how many industry professionals have ‘fallen into’ the aftermarket but have stayed because of the opportunity and fulfilment it offers.
Through the new video series, GCA wants to change that mindset, urging businesses and trade organisations to actively showcase career pathways and promote the aftermarket as a sector of choice, not chance.
Attracting talent is only half the story
The first episode features Duffield, filmed at GCA’s West Midlands HQ, with interviews with Jarnet and Grant to follow.
Each discussion highlights how varied and rewarding a career in the sector can be, with many starting in junior roles and rising to director-level positions through hard work, support and opportunity.
In the kick-off interview, Duffield reflects on the importance of embracing transferable skills from allied sectors, as well as the variety of roles in the market: “At at the moment, there’s a logistical department, there’s a sales department, there’s a digital media department, there’s a marketing department, and there’s an HR department… all of these businesses still have the same internal organisation.
“It’s just that it happens to be in the automotive aftermarket.”
Shepherd added: “Attracting talent is only half the story; we also need to retain it. That means showcasing a clear path for growth, championing diversity and making it known that this industry is future-facing, fast-moving and full of potential.
“From sustainability and EVs to data and diagnostics, there’s no shortage of innovation and it’s time we told that story better.”