Everyone is complaining about the technician shortage around the country. This has lead to many “heated” discussions on many automotive blogs. The biggest complaint is about the quality of people entering the automotive field from what I have read. The second biggest complaint is targeted at the schools who are offering automotive programs. It appears that everyone is pointing fingers everywhere. Please feel free to respond to this article and share your opinions.
In this economy we should have been able to attract many more people to our industry but have failed. Why?
Here are some significant differences that are deterrents for the automotive industry; the automotive industry treats newcomers with hardness and judgmental tactics. I hear students complain all the time about how industry treats them; they do not feel very welcome. How would you feel if you had all this energy and passion for an automotive career and everyone you come in contact with treats you like an idiot? Or tell you it takes years to be any good? Most students give up after two or three experiences like this. Believe me they spread the word through social media about these negative experiences. I even had students share with me that they boycotted a shop because the owner and staff were so harsh on entry level technicians. This shop even came to the school seeking employees, not one student responded. Some need a job desperately.
Working with many local shops and dealerships with techniques on how to work with and build a relationship with the new workforces has changed this harsh treatment and stereotyping of new technicians. Knowing how to build a relationship and work with our X and Y’s is very crucial to them becoming assets to an automotive shop. History demonstrates that if one if truly passionate about something they will achieve greatness in that passion if given a chance.
Another misconception by most is everyone who enters an automotive program is studying to be a technician. This is not the case either. Many young people enter the automotive program to work as service advisers, parts counter people, and some want to work for manufactures as representative! Some automotive instructors unfortunately do not get it either and run these students off at school level. I could probably write another two or three paragraphs but I think this information should trigger some analysis and reflections form all who read it. We create the industry environment and until we create a welcoming environment for young people we will continue to struggle with a shortage of technicians.
Next are our hiring practices! No one wants to train anyone! Why? They believe their fellow shop owner will steal the help they are investing in. So everyone has this mentality and now there are no trained technicians except the ones coming out of schools. But you all want the 5 plus years of experience so your shop can profit immediately from there on-the-job-training. When there is no pipeline to keep a steady flow of trained technicians then the aging fleet will soon vanish and there will be no one to replace them. That is where we are! So hire a newbie and finish their training to fill the pipeline! Otherwise please keep quit. You are not a solution but part of the problem.