STEAM Sports Foundation Launches the “STEAM Behind Motorsports” Curriculum
(Atlanta, GA, July 18, 2018) – STEAM Sports Foundation, an affiliate of the STEAM Sports Group, recently introduced a six-activity “STEAM Sports Classroom” curriculum about the STEAM Behind Motorsports. Designed as a two-week study, the curriculum focuses on chassis, data analytics, engine, fuel, nutrition and tires. There are both middle school and high school level programs. The curriculum is provided through a grant by TechForce Foundation® (www.techforce.org) whose mission is to champion students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians.
Created in cooperation with Honda Performance Development, it is written by Dr. Laura Bottomley of N.C. State’s The Engineering Place, who has spent the last 25 years working with integrated STEM curriculum. She has taught every grade – kindergarten through graduate school – and has been recognized with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Mathematics Mentoring (PAESMEM) at the White House. She was featured in two national commercials, one during Super Bowl 50 by Chevron, entitled “Doing Good with STEM.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnl79YtItGc)
If any school or educator is interested in obtaining the curriculum, please click HERE and follow the instructions provided. The “STEAM Sports Classroom” curriculum is located on the STEAM Sports Foundation website: www.steamsportsgroup.com. There is a $35 fee for the download, a portion of which will go toward STEAM sports scholarships.
Student Pursues His Passion, with Support from TechForce Foundation®
Andrew’s dream career is to build custom motorcycles. He stumbled across his passion while growing up in Northern Idaho. Like many future technicians Andrew tinkered with machines, pulling apart dirt bikes to repair them, or just to see how things worked.
“I can finally say that I am fully passionate about my career.”
Over the years Andrew kept his passion alive as a hobby. He worked on dirt bikes and motorcycles in his free time, but it was not until he found himself feeling stuck in his desk job that Andrew decided to make the switch to a career he is passionate about.
Andrew initially looked into a more traditional four-year education, but found that classroom learning was not for him. In his own words, Andrew is “a very hands on learner”. Through a stroke of luck, Andrew learned of technical school from a good friend, while helping them work on their motorcycle. Since that day Andrew has not looked back.
Andrew is currently enrolled at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, and feels very optimistic about his future prospects, “Having my degree will open many doors down the road, and I can finally say that I am fully passionate about my career.”
Congratulations to Andrew for being awarded a $3,000 tuition scholarship and for being accepted into the TechForce Ambassador program. TechForce Foundation is proud to support Andrew’s technical education in pursuit of his passion and future career.
TechForce Report Reveals Growing Severity of the Supply Shortage in Vehicle Technicians
Gap between postsecondary graduate numbers and job openings continues to widen
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – June 26, 2018 — TechForce Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on championing and aiding aspiring transportation technicians has released a new report — “Transportation Technician Supply Report” — that reveals the growing severity of the vehicle technician supply shortage.
Based on an analysis of National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) 2011-2016 data, TechForce found that postsecondary supply of new entrant vehicle technicians has not kept up with the spike in demand. Although the shortage has been ongoing, it became more severe in 2013 and the gap between supply and demand has continued to increase through the present. New entrant technicians are those needed to fill the growth in new positions in the occupation as well as replace those who leave the occupation. They are distinguished from experienced technicians who may move between employers but don’t add to the overall trained workforce in the occupation.
The report reveals that auto tech postsecondary completions have been declining since 2013. The supply of postsecondary auto graduates decreased by 1,829 completions in 2016 from 2012. There were an estimated 38,829 graduates for 2016 in contrast to the projected Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) new entrant demand of 75,900. Private sector institutions have experienced the greatest decline while public two-year institutions (primarily community colleges) have increased substantially.
The supply of collision technicians has been steadily declining over the past six years. Conversely, total postsecondary completions for diesel programs have increased over the same period. The projected BLS new entrant demand for diesel technicians is 28,300 annually against a supply of 11,966 in 2016. For the collision market, the projected BLS annual new entrant demand is 17,200 technicians compared to supply of 5,791 completions in 2016.
As to what can be done to alleviate the supply shortage, Jennifer Maher, CEO/executive director of TechForce said, “Our country and education system have divested in high school auto shops and stigmatized trade school education which is killing the trades. A big part of the problem is the outdated image of the ‘grease monkey’ mechanic that students and their parents, teachers and counselors may have. Today’s techs are well paid, highly skilled, hands-on problem solvers who are not burdened by massive school debt like their four-year school counterparts. As we change this image we can get more students interested in becoming technicians.”
Doug Young, co-author of the report and managing director of Wilcap L.L.C, said, “Changing perceptions will require building a pipeline into the industry—before parents and students have committed to ‘college for all,’ before students have decided that they aren’t interested in STEM subjects in high school, and before the old perceptions eliminate any interest among parents and career counselors in learning more about the opportunities in the transportation technician occupations.”
Greg Settle, the other co-author of the report and TechForce’s director of national initiatives, said, “With only a small percentage of students interested in going into a skilled trade versus seeking a college degree, the competition among all the skilled trades for those students is fierce. If you look at auto technicians, they can make a very solid, middle-class income. However, starting wages for auto technicians are among the lowest across the skilled trades, and that is often what young and men and women will focus on when making a career decision. Add to that the fact that entry-level technicians are expected to arrive at their first job with their own tools and it does not make the career very attractive, compared with other choices.”
According to Maher, “Without some form of focused, collective action, the transportation industry will continue to suffer from inadequately financed, fragmented efforts to solve these problems. A solution requires pooling resources and consistent public messaging to change perceptions and build a talent pipeline. TechForce Foundation is dedicated to providing the collective source of action to solve the root causes of the problem.”
This report, along with last year’s demand report, are examples of how TechForce works to create awareness of the problem, provide credible data to support the industry’s claims, and with even greater industry participation, improve the range and quality of these services.
Funding for the report was provided by TechForce donors, including Advance Auto Parts, Autoshop Solutions, AutoZone, Babcox Media, Bridgestone Retail Operations, Cengage, General Motors, George Arrants Enterprises, Interstate Batteries, Nissan North America, Manheim, Shell Lubricants, Snap-on, S/P2, Sunstate Equipment, Toyota Foundation, Universal Technical Institute, Valvoline, WD-40 and 10 Missions Media.
About TechForce Foundation
TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians in the transportation industry. The Foundation distributes more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors, and is spearheading FutureTech Success™, the industry-wide initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For more information, visit www.techforce.org.
Congratulations to Angelina who was awarded a $10,000 NASCAR / Brienne Davis Memorial Tuition Scholarship.
Ever since Angelina was a little girl, her family would travel 10 hours to ride sand rails in the desert. Together, with her grandparents and father, they assembled a soap box car from scratch; racing it for four years.
“My dream is to be able to combine my hobby with my career.”
At the age of 14, Angelina began racing quarter midget cars, developing interest and understanding for maintaining all aspects of proper vehicle care. As her passion for riding and working on quads continued, Angelina began racing Micro-Sprint cars through sponsorships from local businesses. Every weekend, Angelina can be found either racing or helping other race teams win. She mentors 5-13 year old kids about the basics of racing, from safety, to changing tires and driving.
“My dream is to be able to combine my hobby with my career. My end goal is to be a part of NASCAR, either as a driver or part of a team. Being a racer myself, I can understand the dedication and commitment it takes to excel in either. To impact the industry, I plan to be a successful woman in a male-dominated field. I want to be respected and make a contribution in a career that I will enjoy.”
Angelina’s career path into technical education embodies her motorsports passion. However, it took some convincing of her parents who anticipated Angelina would attend nursing school. She researched careers in NASCAR to discover that Universal Technical Institute (UTI) had the only NASCAR sponsored program in the entire United States. After conducting her research, Angelina made an appointment with her parents to visit the Sacramento campus. “They were so impressed with my determination and with UTI that I withdrew from school and signed up for UTI.”
Through the assistance of the Brienne Davis Memorial Tuition Scholarship, Angelina is turning her dream into a reality. Following her true calling and having the support from her family, Angelina will surely make great contributions and a serve as a role model for future women technicians.
Terry Emig, much-beloved colleague and former director of motorsports and event marketing at Universal Technical Institute (UTI), is also the namesake of TechForce Foundation’s Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award, established in 2017 by his most ardent admirers, Nancy Bruner of Shell Lubricants and Kim McWaters of UTI.
Limited edition, petite bronze entitled Warrior of Light is available to $1,000+ donors to the Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award, in memory of Terry.
Before Terry’s recent and poignant passing, a limited-edition, petite bronze sculpture of hands holding a flame was commissioned by TechForce and created by Montana artist Pamela Harr of Bridger Bronze, Inc. The piece was inspired both by the nickname “Warrior of Light” given to Terry by Nancy Bruner (inspired by Paulo Coelho’s “Warrior of the Light: A Manual,” a book that invites us to live out our dreams, embrace the uncertainty of life and rise to our own unique destiny) in recognition of Terry’s unwavering support for those who love working with their hands and how he always brought his special light to the world in service of others.
As a remembrance for donations of $1,000 or more to the Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award, donors may receive a limited edition of the Warrior of Light sculpture.
The Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award has already awarded and helped more than six students with more than $25,000 in financial awards since 2017, students who were interviewed and hand-selected by Terry himself. We are honored to share that Nancy Bruner and Terry’s daughter, Ashley Emig Short, will continue to serve on the review committee for the awards going forward.
To contribute to TechForce’s Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award, either make a secure donation online at: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=utif&id=1 (select “Area of Greatest Need” from the drop down menu and type “Terry Emig” in the Additional Comments area) –or– send checks to: TechForce Foundation, 12621 N. Tatum Blvd #304 Phoenix, AZ 85032 (please state in the check note section “Terry Emig” and your phone number). TechForce will contact donors in excess of $1,000 to arrange delivery of the Warrior of Light sculpture.
WD-40 Company Announces Three-Year Partnership With Techforce Foundation
Partnership to support TechForce Foundation’s FutureTech Success® Industry-wide Initiative
SAN DIEGO – May 29, 2018 – WD-40 Company and TechForce Foundation have teamed up to support TechForce Foundation’s FutureTech Success™ initiative, an industry-wide effort to help solve the technician shortage in America, champion the vehicle technician profession, and help young people with natural tactile intelligence become aware of, exposed to, and trained for a successful career path.
The FutureTech Success campaign is a three-pronged approach to closing the skills gap and connecting young people to a technical career in the transportation industry, and includes awareness building, hands-on youth programs and directs the industry’s collective resources to enhance future techs’ workforce readiness.
“WD-40 Company has a long history of supporting the automotive industry, the vehicle technician profession and young techs nationwide,” said Patricia Olsem, senior vice president of marketing strategy and innovation at WD-40 Company. “Automotive technicians have depended on WD-40 Company products to get their jobs done for nearly 65 years and we are proud to partner with TechForce Foundation in bolstering existing programs to champion the vehicle technician profession.”
The initiative will provide hands-on opportunities for young men and women to experience the rewards of working and creating with their hands.
“We are proud to partner with WD-40, a company who understands the gravity of the automotive tech shortage in America and is willing to join efforts to keep America rolling,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO and Executive Director of TechForce Foundation. “By reaching out to parents, schools and youth who are naturally inclined to problem solve and use their hands to learn, the FutureTech Success campaign educates and spurs excitement within the next generation of automotive technicians.”
For more information about TechForce Foundation and its FutureTech Success initiative, visit TechForceFoundation.org.
About WD-40 Company
WD-40 Company is a global marketing organization dedicated to creating positive lasting memories by developing and selling products that solve problems in workshops, factories and homes around the world. The Company markets its maintenance products and homecare and cleaning products under the following well-known brands: WD-40®, 3-IN-ONE®, GT85®, X-14®, 2000 Flushes®, Carpet Fresh®, no vac®, Spot Shot®, 1001®, Lava® and Solvol®.
Headquartered in San Diego, WD-40 Company recorded net sales of $381 million in fiscal year 2017 and its products are currently available in more than 176 countries and territories worldwide. WD-40 Company is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select market under the ticker symbol “WDFC.” For additional information about WD-40 Company please visit WD40Company.com.
About TechForce Foundation
TechForce Foundation is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that encourages and supports students pursuing post-secondary technical education and careers in the transportation industry. The Foundation distributes more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors. For more information visit www.techforce.org.
This article originally appeared on TruckingInfo.com on May 7, 2018; written by Ronnie Garrett.
Ed Chipalowsky is a diesel technology instructor for Monroe Career and Technical Institute in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania. Though at first blush, the words technical institute imply the school solely caters to post high school graduates, Chipalowsky teaches in its high school program aimed at training diesel technicians.
MCTI is part of a growing number of schools, industry organizations and fleet operations at work to address the escalating technician shortage by reaching kids early, mentoring them throughout high school and tech school, then following through with continuing education at the industry level. As an instructor in the first tier of this educational process, Chipalowsky is a big proponent of this new approach. “More schools are seeing the advantages of reaching kids at younger ages and are beginning to make changes in their curriculum to provide pathways to technical education,” he says.
And, he says, the approach is working. “One of our students, during his junior year, completed a certification program with Volvo/Mack. He later applied for a job at a Volvo/Mack dealership in Allentown,” he says. “The woman at the counter considered his age and said, ‘We only hire certified technicians.’ The young man opened his book and showed her his certifications.”
The company hired him on the spot, and the student worked there the summer between his junior and senior year. He was hired full-time upon graduation at $23 an hour to start, says Chipalowsky. “Plus, they gave him a sign-on-bonus.”
Chipalowsky’s tale is an example of what can happen when the trucking industry bands together to promote and further technician training and advancement.
Unfortunately, the industry is “only willing to invest in something that can get them a tech tomorrow,” says Jennifer Maher, CEO and executive director of TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit focused on “Driving Tomorrow’s Workforce of Technicians.”
On the surface, when you need a technician in your shop now, investing in a middle school or high school student appears senseless when the payoff is three to five years away. But as the trucking industry faces a sobering reality — that it will need an estimated 28,300 new entrant diesel techs by 2024 — Maher maintains schools from the elementary to post-secondary levels must march in time with the industry to meet the growing need.
Work has already begun, but Maher suggests more is needed. She recommends a three-pronged effort that partners associations, educational institutions, and fleet operations in a joint effort to meet growing demands.
“No one entity can fix the qualified technician shortage problem,” she says. “We all must row in the same direction. The big problem right now is that everybody is sitting on the sidelines and waiting for someone to fix the problem, but that isn’t going to happen.”
Start early
In January, Fresno Unified School District broke ground on a $9 million, state-of-the-art trades facility for high schoolers to gain workplace experience before graduation. The facility, located on the campus of Duncan Polytechnical, will include a heavy truck maintenance and construction shop.
FUSD Superintendent Bob Nelson says this facility will help students get certified to work on diesel trucks upon graduation. “Here, students can immediately leave our facility ready for work,” he says.
The Fresno project is similar to what MCTI has been doing for some time. Its Diesel Technology Program is designed to prepare students to apply technical knowledge and skills to the specialized maintenance and repair of trucks, buses, and other commercial and industrial vehicles. Students leave the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF)-certified program armed with the skills needed to work on diesel engines, suspension and steering, brake systems, electrical and electronic systems, drivetrains, HVAC systems, and auxiliary equipment installation and repair.
Students in the MCTI program spend half of their day attending legacy education courses, such as algebra or biology, and the other half of their day in the tech program. The school will graduate 10 students in May. Upon graduation, four students are heading to post-secondary schools, two are heading to the military, three are entering the workforce, and one student remains undecided.
The program addresses the needs of tactile learners and introduces them to technical jobs — work they may not have considered as a career. “Too often, parents and educators are telling them, ‘Go to college. Go to college. Go to college,’ ” Chipalowsky says. “We are trying to show parents, teachers and students that there are other alternatives.”
Maher believes that more tech training opportunities like this are needed at the middle school and high school levels. “Schools are teaching only to the eyes and ears, but that’s not how all people learn, and it’s not how all people want to work. We need to stand up for the tactile intelligence of a huge population of our kids and provide them with learning opportunities.”
Chipalowsky laments, however, that the success of programs like MCTI’s is tied to industry partnerships, which can sometimes be lacking. Penske, he says, has helped the MCTI program by donating equipment and hiring its graduates.
“If Penske can do that, why can’t others?” he wonders. “Companies have to step forward. They must start investing in career and technical education. There are some great companies already doing this, but it’s not enough. It is simply not enough.”
Grow your own
Some companies have taken it upon themselves to fill their own technician gaps, such as Schilli NationalLease, based in Remington, Indiana, which provides maintenance, long-term leases and daily rentals to the company’s trucking operation, Schilli Transportation Services, as well as to other fleets. The company employs 78 technicians with a combined 780 years of tenure, knowledge and experience, but many of its technicians are considering their retirement options over the next few years.
After recognizing a need to attract qualified technicians to replace retiring techs, and a growing need to retain the technicians it already has, Schilli launched an initiative to evaluate its compensation, benefits, and training programs. After surveying shop managers, the company established two different pay scales, one for tractors and one for trailers, and crafted a training program for each to help technicians master new skills and increase their pay. Each pay scale has several different tiers based on skills and proficiency, and each tier has a salary range to provide managers flexibility in rewarding and incentivizing technicians.
The firm also started a mechanic helpers’ program to pique interest in the trucking industry among high school students and young adults. “This program brings in people who may not have the tools or the skillsets to hit the ground running,” says Jake Rudisill, general manager of leasing and maintenance for Schilli NationaLease.
The entry-level position serves as a stepping stone to tech-level positions. In this role, young people grab parts for technicians, clean up the work area and the shop, do parts runs and more. “But what they are really gaining is experience,” says Rudisill, who explains that not only are they figuring out if the work is for them, but they also are learning the lingo of the trade. For example, they might learn that a brake chamber is also referred to as a 3030 or a Maxi, or when a truck blows a tire, a driver might talk about recaps or gators.
“There are different terminologies that mean the same thing, and they need to know these things,” Rudisill explains. “Communication is the No. 1 thing we use every single day. Without clear communication, we can’t get anything done.”
Shop managers monitor the progress of mechanics’ helpers and over time might move them into one of the company’s tiered growth paths. “We move them to a Tier 1 role in either the truck or the trailer program, then we continue their education,” Rudisill says. “The mechanic’s helper program is designed to take someone with little to no experience and put them on a path to becoming a technician.”
Once on a tiered training path, Schilli technicians can earn increases in pay by adding to their skills and increasing their proficiency. The salary ranges within each tier also allow shop managers to reward technicians for other achievements, such as higher productivity, good attendance, and excellent customer service.
“If a Tier 1 technician, for example, becomes proficient in three of the six skills required to be a Tier 2 technician, attains a near-perfect attendance record and receives high marks for productivity and good customer service, a shop manager can reward that technician by placing him or her on the low end of the salary range for Tier 2,” Rudisill says. “Then, as that technician becomes more proficient and learns the other three skills required for Tier 2 status, he or she will move up the salary range.”
He adds that the tiered program is meant to get employees to challenge themselves. “A mechanic’s helper is challenged to learn the industry and the basics to become a Tier 1 tractor or trailer technician, a Tier 1 technician is challenged to master the skills to become a Tier 2 technician, and so on,” he says.
The company has also established a dual-evaluation process, where both the technician and the supervisor evaluate and rate the technician’s performance and proficiency during his or her annual review. The manager and technician compare their evaluations to set goals for the coming year.
Schilli’s compensation and training program is seeing positive results. According to Rudisill, the program has reduced cost-per-mile on several routes, improved repair turnover time, decreased the turnover rate among technicians, and has increased young people’s interest in becoming technicians.
“Yes, there is a technician shortage in the industry, but I don’t think we feel it as much now as others do,” he says. “I think many companies in need of technicians are marketing for experience, but we are taking a different approach. We are growing our own technicians, mentoring them along the way, and seeing less turnover as a result.”
Ramp up retention
A critical piece for industry leaders is keeping the techs they have. Penske focuses its attention on retention from a new hire’s first day, says Gregg Mangione, senior vice president of maintenance at Penske.
Penske has created an ambassadors program to ensure every new hire has a positive first day, first week, first month, and first year. This program pairs seasoned employees or ambassadors with new hires to take them through their first day and check in at regular intervals throughout the first year.
The first day experience is critical to retention, Mangione says, so Penske ensures new employees have a uniform and a locker ready upon arrival, brings them in mid-week when things are slower, and makes sure to introduce them to the staff. “All this sounds simple, but people want to know they have a place,” he says.
Penske also has developed a certified technician program where technicians can continue training to move up from a Technician 3 to a Technician 1 level. This program serves two purposes: One, to get new techs up to speed more quickly, and two, to provide ample opportunities for professional growth and increase job satisfaction. “We started this program a decade ago to build upon a new tech’s knowledge, because they came to us with pretty basic skills,” says Mangione. “But about five years ago, we began looking at this program as a means of driving retention. We were finding that when folks left, they were saying they were looking for a career path and skills development.”
The program is self-driven, meaning techs can move up through the ranks as quickly as they can demonstrate they have mastered new skills. The company worked with Penn Foster Career School to develop internal standards for each technician level and internal materials to pair with OEM-led training. Penske trains students with these internal products, which include books, videos and instructor-led programs, then puts students on the shop floor where they can apply their new skills.
“You can provide people with all the training in the world, but they are not going to retain it unless they have that hands-on component; techs are usually tactile learners,” Mangione explains.
The training is supplemented with regular development discussions (every six months) between the employee and their manager. Here, they can discuss the employee’s skills and goals for the future. Penske compiles specific data about the service work the tech has done, including quality come-back information and preventive maintenance inspections. “Did they have any repeat repairs?” Mangione asks. “The goal behind this meeting is for the technician to gain an understanding of the training the employee can take to fill skills gaps and to fulfill long-term career aspirations.”
Finally, Penske supplies techs with tablet computers to use during servicing. From these they can not only perform system diagnostics, but also can pull up how-to videos, available on demand for complex repairs. The videos are three to five minutes long and are housed in a searchable database for techs to use.
“When we found techs walking back and forth to PCs and using their smartphones to Google things, we set out to build a knowledge base to help with vehicle repairs,” Mangione says. “We had professional writers on staff who could write the best repair instructions in the world, yet we still found variations, so we built our own Penske Education Center (P-Tech), a physical site where we do training, testing and film some of the videos, and it holds approximately 300 videos today.”
All these measures combined are driving up Penske’s retention numbers, giving the company a leg up on the technician shortage. “These efforts have improved our first-year retention rates in some areas of the company by 50%,” Mangione says. “As we sit here looking at the shrinking technician pipeline, we are focusing on retaining the techs we have. Making an investment in people and increasing compensation levels, it helps keep technicians here.”
Ronnie Garrett is a freelance writer based in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. She has written about the skilled labor and technician shortage for a variety of industries, including manufacturing and supply chain, trucking and logistics, and aviation.
This article originally appeared on April 13, 2018 in Fixed Ops Business; written by Kelly Beaton.
The auto industry is on the verge of major changes, considering the possible disruption that innovations like autonomous vehicles pose.
And, Jennifer Maher fears the industry might be ill-equipped to take on such challenges. The cold, hard stats seem to back up her beliefs, too: the industry needs nearly 76,000 new technicians in the near future, simply to make up for those that will soon age out of the workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Our technical schools and community college programs are not putting out anywhere near that number,” noted Maher, the CEO and executive director of the TechForce Foundation. “That’s why the reality of trying to find qualified techs has become such a crisis.”
Spurred by such knowledge, Maher’s employer has partnered with fellow auto industry staple Manheim Auctions on their FutureTech Success initiative; Manheim recently made a $50,000 annual commitment to TechForce in support of the campaign. The companies have paired in an effort to educate Generation Z-aged students, as well as their parents, regarding what a career as an auto technician has to offer, through a multi-pronged initiative that includes speaking at schools, showing educational videos, and the creation of an online hub that pairs potential apprentices with business suitors.
“This is not just throwing money at a problem and thinking it’s going to be fixed in one day,” Maher noted, “but really the understanding that it’s going to take a strategic alliance on the part of lots of people to make a dent here.”
The auto industry has much more to offer potential job-seekers than many realize, according to the leaders of both TechForce and Manheim. They feel many parents simply need to overcome the industry’s negative stereotypes, such as that it leads to low-paying jobs.
It’s “a stereotype that [technicians] don’t make any money, when in fact their earning potential is actually extremely good—better than in some other industries,” said Angie Babin, Manheim’s vice president.
In the midst of modern society’s technological shift, jobs too are shifting, Maher noted. Technical trade workers are in demand, and many of those jobs can be had without a four-year college degree.
The average modern vehicle has approximately 100 million lines of code, meaning they require technicians who are immersed in modern technology. And both TechForce and Manheim feel there are plenty of talented, potential technicians among today’s youth.
Those gifted members of Generation Z simply need to be informed of all that a career in the auto industry has to offer.
They need to hear about the FutureTech Success project and learn of all it has to offer, such as potential internship opportunities, said Maher and Babin.
“I’ve spent years in shops,” noted Babin, “and I’ve never seen technicians’ eyes light up like I do when there’s a mentorship, or an apprenticeship, or training on new equipment, or [when they learn] how to do something they’ve never done before.
“We want to make sure that we wrap our arms around [potential young technicians] and provide them with the true career path and earning potential that we know they can have.”
Kelly Beaton is a staff writer for 10 Missions Media, where he produces content for Ratchet+Wrench, FenderBender and Fixed Ops Business.
Manheim Partners with TechForce Foundation to Support Development of Future Auto Technician Workforce
Alliance Aims to Address Shortage of Technicians, Invest in Future Talent
ATLANTA and SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – April 10, 2018 – With a growing industry shortage of qualified auto technicians, Manheim is partnering with the TechForce Foundation on its FutureTech Success® campaign. The campaign is designed to attract students to become auto technicians and create a pipeline of talent within the industry for auto technicians. As an early supporter of this effort, Manheim has made a $50,000 annual commitment, and Manheim’s Vice President of Reconditioning, Angie Babin, will serve on the TechForce Foundation board.
“Sadly, auto shop classes are disappearing, and parents and students are not receiving information about the viability of technical work-related jobs,” said Babin. “The pipeline for auto technicians needs to be rebuilt, and by partnering with TechForce, we are proactively providing potential technicians with information and inspiration to pursue a lucrative and rewarding career.”
Career Perception vs. Reality
The current perception is that being a technician or pursuing a technical career in the auto industry is not desirable due to outdated understandings about the earning potential and career path. However, with new technologies being used, today’s technicians are more technologically-driven and work with their minds as much as their hands. Manheim and TechForce are working together to educate parents and middle school and high school students about the new era of the auto technician to change attitudes.
“Many parents today believe that the auto technicians job is a dead-end job requiring very little skill, and that’s just not the case. Today’s auto technicians use technology for their jobs and can have bright careers that progress from auto shops through management and even higher throughout the automotive industry. We’re excited to work together with Manheim to help fill the gap in the technician pipeline,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO and executive director of TechForce Foundation.
Investing in Talent
The technician pipeline is particularly important to Manheim, as it continues to expand its Retail Reconditioning solution for clients. Backed by a recent $17 million investment, Retail Reconditioning requires a range of technicians, including ASE certified mechanics, to deliver retail-ready inventory for dealers and help them fulfill retail demand faster, increase efficiency and save time. Manheim offers technicians a range of benefits, including paying for their ASE certification and tuition reimbursement for continuing education.
Manheim and TechForce will work together in improving the image of the auto technician, communicating to parents of middle school and high school students, and working and communicating with students about the benefits of a career as an auto technician. They will also look to provide mentorships and apprentice programs. Professional technicians will also be available to students to discuss their journeys and careers as auto technicians.
TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. The Foundation distributes more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors, and is spearheading FutureTech Success®, the industry-wide initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For more information, visit www.techforce.org.
Manheim® is North America’s leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations. Through its extensive physical, mobile and digital sales network, the company offers diverse solutions for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With more channels and smarter tools, Manheim Marketplace offers the most comprehensive end-to-end solutions and services, enabling wholesale vehicle buyers and sellers faster and more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. In addition, Manheim provides industry-leading data and tools to improve client efficiencies and decision-making, while delivering a value-added customer experience. Approximately 18,000 team members enable Manheim to offer 8 million used vehicles per year, facilitate transactions representing nearly $58 billion in value and generate annual revenues of more than $3 billion. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling and owning cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®,are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across 100+ countries and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com
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Julie Zorn Shipp, Manager, Public Relations, Cox Automotive 404-558-7837 julie.shipp@coxautoinc.com
Mike Pressendo, Director of Marketing (Interim), TechForce Foundation (602) 363-8861 mpressendo@techforce.org
A fully realized apprenticeship program involves higher-level thinking on the shop owner’s part. Here’s how to build that program, step by step.
As Sarah Price and Cindy Weinberg take their turns at the podium, they address the store managers, the mentors, the company’s CEO in attendance.
Oh, and we can’t forget the most important guests: the employees who have just graduated from Virginia Tire & Auto’s apprenticeship program.
“My message to everyone is to keep learning,” Weinberg says, thinking back on that day. “The learning is never over.”
“I tell them that they accomplished this goal,” Price adds, “and they are going to have many more goals to accomplish.”
You’ll note a core message shared between the training manager (Price) and director of talent development (Weinberg) just before they hand out graduation certificates to the former apprentices: there’s a culture of learning at Virginia Tire & Auto. In order for the 13-location auto repair business to cultivate lifelong employees, its apprenticeship program must do more than coach young technicians and service advisors on the basics of the business—it must present auto repair as a viable, fulfilling career.
And that’s where apprenticeship programs trip many shop owners up, says Wayne Martella. With two apprentices always on rotation between his four AAMCO shops in Mesa, Ariz., he knows how difficult it can be to not only oversee an apprenticeship, but also to ensure mentees are getting the full picture of the industry, and ensure that mentors are properly cultivating future leaders. From the moment apprentices walk into your shop to the moment they become full-time professionals, you must build a foundation for them to thrive.
Luckily, if you follow advice from people well versed in the practice, you’ll be ready to build a better future for your shop—a better future for the industry.
Part 1: Create a Funnel
If the automotive repair industry categorizes wannabe professionals as hindrances, it won’t truly connect with those interested in a career—a truth the TechForce Foundation deeply understands.
Jennifer Maher is the CEO of TechForce, a nonprofit that guides students through a technical education into the automotive industry. She’s seen firsthand how apprenticeships are an important component of an evolving, growing business—but she’s also witnessed why many of them fail:
“You can’t just set up a program and expect people to walk in.”
While there are currently 5.8 million unfilled trade openings in this country (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), Dr. Sally Downey says a proper education funnel can reverse that trend. And as the superintendent of the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT)—which set up more high school students with jobs than any other U.S. program—she should understand that more than anyone.
“Students need the real deal,” she says. “They can learn in the classroom, but being in a business is part of the experience they need to have.”
EVIT, situated in Eastern Arizona, is a public education system that hosts more than 40 career training programs, ranging from culinary arts to health care to, yes, automotive repair. Through those programs, roughly 240 automotive students from 10 school districts each year will simultaneously attend high school and receive two years of career training through area businesses—including Martella’s AAMCO shops.
As three individuals consumed with guiding students into a profession, Maher, Downey and Martella have some advice for ensuring there’s a steady stream of employees ready for your shop’s apprenticeship program.
Partner with Shops.
Downey says EVIT is the only high school in the East Valley of Arizona certified by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), which allows the school to effectively communicate with area businesses.
The thing is, auto repair shops need to be willing to collaborate—and NATEF can help facilitate that.
NATEF helps schools form local advisory committees of industry professionals, bridging the gap between education and industry. The area shops on Martella’s advisory board host students at various apprenticeships throughout the year, exposing those students to different systems, processes and specializations.
“We help the EVIT curriculum stay current with the aftermarket,” he says. “It allows us to talk with students and their parents from early high school through their senior year in high school, and reassure them that working in automotive trade is not a bad thing.”
Connect with Counselors, Parents.
You won’t reach any students if they’re being deterred from trades altogether by parents and counselors, who often believe a traditional four-year university is the only prosperous route, Maher says.
“The industry should pull those parents and counselors in, engage them, let them not forget they are vitally important to fuel future tech workforce,” she says. “We have to paint the picture for them with career opportunities and dispel those myths.”
Maher says it’s important to be upfront about how pay structures work in shops and how much students can make in the profession. Also, play up how sophisticated cars have become, and how vehicle repair requires a deep understanding of electrical and computing systems.
Martella loves attending career days, where he can talk to both students and parents about the opportunities the trade presents. He’s sure to talk up the continuous education available and the higher-than-expected salaries kids can aspire to earn.
“I have A-techs making over $100,000,” he says. “The old stigma of the grease monkey is gone. Techs today need to be very literate, computer savvy. If your son or daughter is not college bound, I tell them it’s OK to be in the automotive industry.”
Provide Equipment to Students.
In order for EVIT’s six automotive teachers to properly train students for the real world, Downey says they need the best equipment.
Luckily, used equipment donated from shops often comes in handy. Everything from scan tools to scrapped engines goes a long way in getting students shop-ready at EVIT.
As an incentive, EVIT encourages businesses to apply for a tax credit for donating equipment. Unlike a regular deduction that only allows you to subtract the contribution from your taxable income, a tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar deduction in the actual tax owed.
TechForce Foundation’s iHub
Solving the employee crisis isn’t a one-man job—and that’s why TechForce Foundation wants to connect all the important players through one centralized hub.
“The industry doesn’t need us to create apprenticeship programs,” CEO Jennifer Maher says of her nonprofit that guides students through a technical education into the automotive industry. “It needs us to find where those great programs are, and promote them to parents and students and shops.”
The result has been iHub (which stands for “industry hub”), TechForce’s collection of best practices from automotive companies (including automotive repair organizations and shops) from around country for promoting students into the industry.
Part 2: Form a Gameplan
Greg Settle would really like to delve into the structure of the actual apprenticeship once the student is in the shop—but there’s one bit of preparation he needs to stress first.
“You need a written plan to follow,” says TechForce’s director of national initiatives. “What tasks you’ll be covering, and what information they’ll be learning.”
Settle recommends closely following the NATEF guidelines for apprenticeships, and creating SOPs for how the apprenticeship process will work for mentors, apprentices and the person overseeing both parties (e.g., the shop owner). Meet with your team to determine your shop’s strengths and to discuss which skills are most essential to people looking to break into the industry. Map out a timeline that moves students between various specialties and tasks to give them a rounded view of daily shop life.
Luckily, to help, Settle has noted what typically works best for an apprenticeship program, while Price, Weinberg and Martella have outlined their shops’ programs for Ratchet+Wrench. While this isn’t an exact outline of one single program, the following gameplan generally covers the consistencies between several businesses and how apprentices are properly onboarded, trained and acclimated into shop life.
The Evaluation
On a quarterly basis, Virginia Tire & Auto reviews applicants to its apprenticeship program. They are evaluated, and if chosen, then paired with a Master Technician.
Based on the apprentice’s skill level, the length of the apprenticeship can vary. If a tech student shows promise, but needs a couple more years of experience, the time frame may vary from someone who is out of school.
If the apprentice is splitting time between school and the shop, Martella will have him or her come in after school a few days per week, and sometimes even work half-days on Saturdays (since his shop is open). Often, that part-time apprenticeship will segue into a full-time apprenticeship during summer break, or if the individual graduates.
From there, Martella says the technician’s graduation from C- or D-level positions depends entirely on the apprentice’s aptitude. An apprenticeship can last anywhere from 3 months to one year before the apprentice is moved into a permanent position.
The Education
This is where apprentices review the company’s basic daily tasks, and various detailed shop processes. Basic processes involve everything after the client drops off his or her vehicle. The advisor gets the information, then dispatches the technician’s work, and then walks him or her through all the way to the end of the actual customer vehicle process.
Detailed processes include:
A comprehensive vehicle inspection process
The repair order
Software functionality
Repair ticket schedules
Properly formatting estimates and notes
The shop also reviews the software for technician resources, including diagnostic processes, the vehicle test drive procedures and checking fluids.
The Practice
Here, apprentices put all these processes and procedures they’ve been trained on into practice. As they do this, their mentors will watch them, guide them, prepare them, and perfect their quality control.
During the first year at Virginia Tire & Auto, Price says that apprentices specifically focus on four service items:
Steering and suspension
Brakes
Air conditioning
Engine repair
If the apprentice shows promise at Martella’s shop, he or she will upgrade to more sophisticated duties, such as diagnostics.
The Shadowing
This is the final step before apprentices are on their own. The trainee will work alongside the trainer for several months, applying the knowledge from the previous steps.
The trainee will have each step of the process verified for accuracy before moving on to the next step. The mentor will judge how much freedom he or she is allowed based on skills and work ethic.
At this point, apprentices are expected to have done the necessary research and preparation to know the car before it comes in. They check it properly, they test drive it—all the duties a full-time employee is expected to perform.
Once they prove they can do that, they’re ready to operate on their own.
Determine the Payment Structure
Every source quoted in this story echoes the same sentiment: You need to pay your apprentices.
While an “apprenticeship” is often viewed differently than an “internship,” Cindy Weinberg, director of talent development for Virginia Tire & Auto, says that often apprentices are looking for longevity and supporting families, and a lack of compensation could turn many of them off.
Sarah Price, training manager for Virginia Tire, says that the company even pays for ASE certification, study guides and online automotive tech training courses when necessary. The company will also offer interest-free loans to apprentices to purchase tools. Those loans come straight out of employee paychecks.
It’s even important to consider compensating your mentors, who will have to juggle teaching and their regular work. To help, the TechForce Foundation is developing a payment calculator on its website that dictates how much both parties should be paid, how many hours will be flagged during the mentorship, and what income each party will accrue over time. Stay posted for a link when it’s published.
Part 3: Onboard Apprentices
With this gameplan, you’ll have outlined an apprenticeship blueprint for both parties, meaning you can properly set expectations for both employees and students ahead of the process.
At Martella’s shop, the apprentices sit down for an orientation on the first day, where they review the company policies, the facility, the tools, the resources available, the parts processes, and the technician responsibilities in an employee handbook. That includes everything from hiring forms to a facility tour. There are regular evaluations that test the apprentices’ knowledge on these processes.
Settle says apprentices should be expected to recall shop basics:
Can you state our core values and philosophies?
Can you prove you can keep yourself organized?
Are you managing personal volume levels?
Can you identify the location of the diagnostic equipment?
Do you know to properly use the lifts, spring compressors, presses and flush tools?
And while your employees will help shape the apprenticeship blueprint, they—just like the students—will still need to be properly “onboarded,” meaning they’ll need training and advice for how to mentor students.
Price says that Virginia Tire & Auto is blessed with many master techs, who only need a tiny bit of guidance on how to properly train apprentices. Still, Price travels to the company’s 13 different locations throughout the year to check in with apprentices and mentors to ensure apprentices are making forward progress and train master techs on how to be good mentors. Price encourages patience with mentees and asks them to set expectations each day so apprentices have something to work toward.
Cover Liabilities
Many automotive repair shop owners fear the liabilities associated with minors working at their facilities, says Greg Settle, director of national initiatives for TechForce Foundation.
But if simple precautions are considered, it shouldn’t be a problem, says David Whitney, vice president of the retail profit center at Zurich Insurance, which works with shops and dealerships.
He provided some important legal advice for forming apprenticeship programs:
Apprentices should be subject to the same employment standards in place for all other employees, including appropriate background checks, motor vehicle report checks and drug testing.
Minors should be prohibited from operating vehicles under any circumstance.
Apprentices should receive all appropriate new hire training offered to other employees, including how to properly handle flammable liquids, machinery and other equipment.
Host anti-discrimination and harassment prevention training, with documentation verifying this and kept in the apprentice’s personnel file.
If you host students for tours, properly train individuals who will be responsible for said tours. Create a written checklist that outlines the tour route and addresses any hazards one may encounter during the tour.
Part 4: Monitor the Apprenticeship
Maher has overseen marketing and headed corporate alliances at both YMCA and Make-A-Wish America, where she observed the importance of higher-level planning on a national scale from an executive level.
But, at the end of the day, she acknowledges it’s really all about those small, intimate relationships that go on to reshape lives.
“One person can make a difference,” she says. “If one person exposes them to the career, it can completely alter their life. That’s why apprenticeship programs are so important.”
The apprentice applicants are interviewed by available mentors and paired accordingly. Then, when an applicant is placed in the apprentice program, he or she begins working with the mentor and at the first hands-on monthly training is provided with a packet that includes an “Individual Development Plan” and tips for communicating with mentors. Within that packet, mentors and mentees outline three goals for the first year of the apprenticeship.
From there, Sarah works with the master tech to deliver hands on training to apprentices once a month, visits the individual apprentices in the stores, and meets quarterly with the apprentice, mentor and store leadership to review a scorecard on the apprentice’s progress in the program..
Often, because of this practice, mentees graduate from the program and become mentors themselves, creating a cycle that ensures Virginia Tire continually pumps out new quality employees as it continues to grow.
Travis Bean is the associate editor for FenderBender, Ratchet+Wrench and Fixed Ops Business.
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"By connecting students, instructors, industry pros and working techs, the TechForce Foundation provides unilateral support to the transportation industry’s technician recruiting needs… The administration of our Scholarships by the TechForce team has been instrumental in delivering us with a successful method to gain interest from qualified candidates as well as provide our students with additional assistance to complete their education."
The Emig family has asked that any donations in Terry’s honor be made either to the 
SAN DIEGO – May 29, 2018 – WD-40 Company and TechForce Foundation have teamed up to support TechForce Foundation’s FutureTech Success™ initiative, an industry-wide effort to help solve the technician shortage in America, champion the vehicle technician profession, and help young people with natural tactile intelligence become aware of, exposed to, and trained for a successful career path.
