Pub. 1 2019-2020 Issue 4

21 redirects vehicles retired under the state’s Consumer Assistance Program (“CAP”) from scrap yards to schools for teaching purposes. Part of the issue is due to a mass exit of seasoned techs who are retiring and leaving the industry and those who “bolt” due to lack of job security and misapprehensions about the direction the industry is going. “Half of the entry-level technicians hired by dealerships and independent shops from certified auto tech programs leave within two years. If the shop en- vironment doesn’t turn them off, hav- ing to spend thousands, even tens of thousands, of dollars to provide their own work tools can.” And we have come full circle. The cost to gain the education most dealer- ships are looking for is often prohibi- tive, with a small payoff and a lengthy commitment to make a decent salary. Many young techs from this generation struggle to commit to long-term plans, bringing about the gig economy and the subscription movement. If there isn’t a big payoff immediately at graduation, many young people seek alternatives. In this technological age, many opt to spend a little more time (and about the same amount of money) in school to get a bachelor degree, hoping for a better (and cleaner) payoff. For ex- ample, a computer programmer makes anywhere from $60K/year to over $100K/year, while the median salary for auto service technicians and mechanics is somewhere around $40K. The work is being done to combat the expected shortfall of 37,000 technicians per year. Perhaps the programs in place through NADA, CNCDA, dealerships, and auto manu- facturers will begin to chip away at that number. Considering the service drive is often the profit center of every dealership, this should be of the highest priority, especially in a flat market. How can dealers do this? • Appeal to the technological sec- tor of colleges, touting the growth of electric vehicle sales. EVs are much more complex and often much cleaner to work on and re- quire programming skills as well. The cost to gain the education most dealerships are looking for is often prohibitive, with a small payoff and a lengthy commitment to make a decent salary. Many young techs from this generation struggle to commit to long-term plans, bringing about the gig economy and the subscription movement. If there isn’t a big payoff immediately at graduation, many young people seek alternatives. • Reach out to high schools to build a kind of “grads to garag- es” program. Offering a type of apprentice opportunity for that group of kids that is not college- bound could create a stronger interest in dealership tech work. Taking a young tech under his/ her wing could even prove to enhance productivity and at- titude in older techs. Mentoring can be good for mentor and mentee alike. • Better advertising: while the average median salary of techs, in general, is around $40K, the average salary in a dealership is much higher. The average tech in a dealership makes around $60K, with the opportunity, through building experience, to make $100K. That is a pretty good payday for an honest day’s work. Bring that to high schools at ca- reer day or job fairs at community colleges. Send your most enthu- siastic employees to these events to bolster interest in the field. • Keep working to offer scholar- ships and programs to support technical education in schools. • Lobby your local legislature to reinstate auto shop programs at local public high schools. • Ensure the shop environment is one techs want to work in. Consider team-building activities or staff retreats once a quarter to a local bowling alley. Create com- petitions and give out awards, ensure tech satisfaction by walk- ing the shop floor regularly, and getting to know all the staff (even the lube tech and car washer); make sure to foster the growth of the next generation of techs. • Finally, consider a higher pay rate. There is a way to go to combat this growing shortage, and as the in- dustry continues to swiftly evolve, we need to be more mindful than ever about the future of automotive technicians. While the issue can’t be solved overnight, we can all work together to find a path forward for the greater good. 3