In our August Member Spotlight, we speak with Neil Le Febvre, Motor Trade Association of Western Australia (MTA WA) CEO.

Neil explains how MTA WA is building a skilled automotive workforce through industry-led training and in its state of the art EV training facility. He also discusses how AUSMASA membership ensures MTA WA's members have their voices heard on national skills and workforce issues.

Tell us about your organisation. How do you support automotive skills? 

The Motor Trade Association of Western Australia (MTA WA) is the peak body and leading voice for Western Australia’s automotive industry. Established in 1934, MTA WA exists to represent, support and grow the automotive sector by providing advocacy, business support, training and apprenticeship services across the State.

We represent more than 1,500 member businesses and support thousands of employers and employees through advocacy, lobbying, business development services, and workforce development initiatives. Our sole focus on automotive has enabled our members to operate profitably, compliantly and sustainably, while giving business owners confidence to invest, employ and grow.

Skills and workforce development sit at the core of our work. MTA WA Training delivers nationally recognised, industry led and award winning automotive training, supporting more than 1,200 students annually. We are the largest light automotive training provider in WA, with a completion rate of 78.9%, and a strong focus on future ready skills, including leading the way in electric vehicle (EV) training across the State.

In addition, MTA WA Training employs more than 350 apprentices through over 200 host employers statewide. We pride ourselves on providing structured mentoring, pastoral care and work health and safety support, ensuring apprentices are supported to complete their training and build sustainable careers in the automotive industry.

Through this integrated approach, MTA WA plays a critical role in building a skilled, capable and future focused automotive workforce.

Why did you become an AUSMASA member?

MTA WA joined AUSMASA because we recognise the importance of a coordinated, industry led approach to national skills and workforce development—and we believe our experience and expertise can make a meaningful contribution.

As the Australian Government’s Jobs and Skills Council for the mining and automotive sectors, AUSMASA provides a platform for industry voices to inform national VET policy, workforce planning and the development of training products. Membership ensures that the priorities and realities of the automotive sector, particularly at a state and employer level, are represented in national discussions.

Participation in AUSMASA allows us to:

• Contribute to the development and review of national training packages
• Ensure qualifications and competency standards reflect real world industry needs
• Influence future focused training that supports emerging technologies and workforce change.

Importantly, AUSMASA also enables collaboration across the mining and automotive sectors. While MTA WA focuses solely on automotive, membership keeps us connected to broader workforce trends, emerging skills needs and cross sector challenges, including diversity, inclusion and workforce attraction.

Ultimately, we joined AUSMASA because its purpose aligns strongly with our commitment to shaping a future ready, skilled and sustainable automotive workforce.

How do you think AUSMASA membership has enabled you to influence national skills and workforce development?

AUSMASA membership has provided MTA WA with a direct avenue to influence national skills development, qualification reform and workforce planning through structured industry engagement and collaboration.

In March 2026, MTA WA participated in the Charged for Change: EV Skills Summit in Melbourne, convened by AUSMASA. The Summit brought together more than 130 stakeholders from industry, unions and the training sector to address the workforce and skills challenges emerging from Australia’s rapid transition to electric vehicles.

The Summit focused on 2 critical themes:

• Building the EV workforce pipeline through skills, pathways and training reform
• EV safety, standards and workshop readiness across the full EV lifecycle.

For MTA WA, the discussions reinforced a key challenge: a lack of broader community understanding around EV skill sets and the Australian Standard for working on new technologies (AS 5732).

MTA WA strongly advocated that the automotive industry is best placed to service and repair EVs of all types, and highlighted the leadership role we are playing in delivering EV training and capability in Western Australia.

Beyond events, AUSMASA membership has enabled MTA WA to contribute directly to national working groups on qualification reform and hydrogen skills, ensuring practical, employer led perspectives inform future training products.

Through AUSMASA, we have strengthened collaboration with other sectors facing similar workforce challenges and ensured automotive expertise is embedded in national policy conversations.

Ultimately, AUSMASA has amplified MTA WA’s voice, enabling us to help shape a skills and training system that supports Australia’s current and future workforce. At its core, this work is about people—creating pathways, building capability and ensuring industry is ready for the future.