A Sustainable Competency Assessment Framework for Automotive Maintenance Technicians: Integrating Maintenance Record Analysis and Expert Consensus

Abstract

In response to rapid shifts toward electrification, digitalization, and sustainability in the automotive industry, this study developed a sustainability-oriented, evidence-based competency framework for automotive maintenance technicians. Traditional competency frameworks, often derived from manufacturer manuals or curricula, overlook tacit knowledge from real-world maintenance practices, leading to gaps in diagnostic effectiveness, service quality, and resource efficiency. To address this limitation, 8500 maintenance records from 67 service centers (2022–2025) were subjected to quantitative content analysis to identify preliminary competency indicators across five vehicle systems. A three-round Delphi survey involving 24 senior automotive experts was subsequently conducted to validate and prioritize these indicators on the basis of mean importance scores and coefficients of variation (≤0.20). The final framework comprised 39 competencies, such as diagnostic proficiency, electronic system integration, system-level troubleshooting, and technical documentation application. Beyond traditional mechanical skills, cross-system diagnostic capability and digital tool proficiency have become essential competencies for modern electric vehicles. By transforming tacit maintenance knowledge into measurable indicators, the developed framework can contribute to supporting workforce sustainability, enhancing repair accuracy, reducing unnecessary part replacement, and improving resource efficiency. It can also inform vocational education, industry certification, and human capital development aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 8, 9, and 12.