Driving Supplier Competence and Workforce Development in the Automotive Industry

In today’s automotive ecosystem, human competence is as critical as technological innovation. 
As supply chains stretch across continents and evolve to support electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous driving, and connected mobility, the skill and readiness of the people who design, assemble, and audit these systems directly determine quality, safety, and brand reputation. 

Building Competence Across Multi-Tier Suppliers 

The IATF 16949 automotive quality management standard provides a robust framework for ensuring supplier competence at every tier. However, in practice many organizations still struggle to translate this framework into measurable, repeatable workforce development. 
Success requires structured training and qualification pathways for critical manufacturing skills from precision machining and advanced materials handling to battery assembly and software calibration. 
 
By defining competency requirements at each role and mapping them to production processes, OEMs and their suppliers can create clear progression plans and certification milestones that support both career growth and quality assurance. 

Leveraging Digital Data 

Digital learning has become an essential component of workforce development. Virtual classrooms, e-learning platforms, and interactive factory walk-throughs make it easier for teams to access consistent, high-quality training regardless of geography. These flexible formats help suppliers in emerging markets quickly implement cost-effective training and assessment programs while keeping pace with evolving automotive technologies and standards. 

Measuring Workforce Readiness with Data 

Competence is only meaningful if it can be measured. 
Organizations must move beyond traditional training records to adopt quantitative metrics for workforce readiness, including skill proficiency scores, certification completion rates, on the job performance data, and audit findings tied to specific training outcomes. Intertek’s data-driven approach helps suppliers and OEMs identify gaps early, track continuous improvement, and demonstrate compliance during audits. 

How Intertek Business Assurance and Intertek Academy Can Help 

At Intertek, our mission is to provide Total Quality Assurance that goes beyond compliance. 
Through customized training solutions, competency-based assessments, and remote auditing technologies, we help OEMs and suppliers embed workforce development into their quality management systems. 

Our Intertek Academy is at the heart of this capability. Offering specialized automotive and quality management training, Intertek Academy equips teams with the skills required to meet and exceed IATF 16949 requirements. 
Whether through instructor-led workshops, interactive e-learning, or blended programs, we help organizations build competence in auditing, process control, and risk-based thinking, ensuring that every level of the supply chain has the expertise to deliver zero defect performance. 

By integrating these services with our Intertek Inlight™ platform, clients gain real-time visibility of supplier competence across multiple tiers, ensuring that every product leaving the line meets the highest standards of safety and performance. 

People remain the heart of quality. 
By investing in supplier competence and leveraging Intertek Academy’s automotive and quality management training, the industry can create a resilient, future-ready workforce capable of powering the next era of mobility safely, sustainably, and with confidence.