TechForce releases 2020 Technician Supply & Demand Report

TechForce Report Reveals Demand for Vehicle Technicians
Continues to Outpace Supply by Nearly 3 to 1

Overall Gap in Supply and Demand of Transportation Technicians
Continues to Grow Despite Slight Uptick in Diesel Certifications

 

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — August 31, 2020 — TechForce Foundation® has released its 2020 Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report, that reveals the transportation technician shortage continues to worsen.

The 2020 Technician Supply & Demand Report supplements the Foundation’s previous reports, adjusting prior projections to reflect research from the National Center for Education Statistics and TechForce’s own analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Citing both increasing demand for professional techs and a declining supply of new techs entering the industry, the update concludes that the technician shortage is increasing in severity despite a slight uptick in new post-secondary degrees and certificates for future diesel technicians.

“Although demand is strong, with 642,000 auto/diesel/collision techs needed between 2020 and 2024, the shortage continues to worsen. The good news is these careers have been deemed essential by the government, and the transportation industry is organizing to do something about the shortage,” said Jennifer Maher, TechForce CEO. “TechForce’s campaigns are leveraging the industry’s collective voice to inspire the next generation of technicians and address the root causes of the shortage.”

Recent surveys show an increased interest in transportation technology work, both among younger students and career changers whose jobs may have been lost or furloughed because of the pandemic. Surveys of high school students show that more than half are open to something other than a four-year degree.

According to TechForce Director of National Initiatives Greg Settle, who authored the report, “Our projections do not reflect potential impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we are seeing indications of increased interest in technical program enrollments. With our next report at year-end, we expect to be able to provide further insight into COVID-19 related trends.”

“Despite record rates of unemployment, there continues to be strong demand for our graduates,” says Jerome Grant, CEO of Universal Technical Institute. “Employers need skilled technicians to fill essential jobs and, as many in our nation look for new paths to prosperity, we’re seeing growing interest in our programs and in technical careers.”

You can download the 2020 Technician Supply & Demand Report here. For additional information about secure, successful careers in transportation technology, visit techforce.org.

About TechForce Foundation
TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional transportation technicians. TechForce distributes more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors. It also spearheads a workforce development initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. TechForce is a partner organization of America’s Automotive Trust, LeMay – America’s Car Museum and RPM Foundation. Learn more at www.techforce.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

A speedometer needle and arch over the words "642,000 Auto/Diesel/Collision technicians needed between 2020 and 2024." Download infographics here.

 

 

 

 

 

Media Contact
Mike Pressendo, mpressendo@techforce.org, (623) 445-9354

###

 


 

Spark News | August 2020

Topics in Spark News for August 2020:

Because I’m A Tech | MMI Scholarship Recipients | Ultimate Guide to Transportation Tech Careers | Earn Credits Towards Tech School

Join the conversation! “Because I’m a Tech…” 2020

2020-08_BIAT 2020_Woman TechnicianOur 2020 “Because I’m a Tech…” campaign is in full swing now through September 11th! Follow along as real technicians share stories of all that they have accomplished in the course of their career. Join the conversation with #BecauseImATech on FacebookInstagramTwitter and LinkedIn.

Get inspired! Meet scholarship recipients Jazmine & Elizabeth

2020-08_Beutel Scholarship Recipients_Jazmine and Elizabeth-1-1Congratulations to Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) students Jazmine and Elizabeth, recipients of the Justin Beutel Memorial Scholarship! Both students show exceptional drive and tenacity. Each woman plans to use their tech training as a step towards owning motorcycle shops of their own. Read Jazmine and Elizabeth’s inspiring stories here>>

Learn about and apply for TechForce Foundation scholarships here>>

Resource Spotlight
2020-08_Ultimate Guide TransTech Careers_Cover image

The Ultimate Guide to Transportation Tech Careers

Learn how becoming a technician in the transportation field can lead to a lucrative and successful career!

To discover job types, skills needed, salary ranges and more download our Guide to Tech Careers>>

Blog highlight: 4 Ways to Earn College Credit towards Tech School While in High School

2020-08_Blog highlight_Two studentsBack to school is a great time to think ahead and prepare for your next steps after graduation. Check out our blogpost below for ways you can get a jumpstart on your professional technician education:

“Not everyone realizes it, but there are ways to earn college or post-secondary credit for tech school while you’re still in high school… The sooner you earn credits, the sooner you graduate; the faster you finish, the faster you’re earning money and advancing in your career. Plus, training early will warm you up for tech school and help you know what to expect.

Wondering how to get a jump on tech school?” read the full blog post here>>

Thank you to all TechForce Foundation partners!

2020-08_Partner Thank You_Logo LockupAssociations: America’s Automotive Trust (AAT), Automotive Communications Council, Automotive Maintenance & Repair Association (AMRA), American Rental Association (ARA), Automotive Service Association (ASA), Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), ASE Education Foundation, ASE Training Managers Council (ATMC), Auto Care Association/Women in Auto Care, Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR), Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada (NAACC), National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF), National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3), RPM Foundation, SkillsUSA, and American Trucking Association’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC)

Celebrities: Lyn St. James (IndyCar), Bogi Lateiner (Girl Gang Garage), Steve Johnson (Steve Johnson Racing – NHRA) and Julia Landauer (Julia Landauer Racing – NASCAR)

For more news on TechForce Foundation, follow us on social media at the links below!

instagramYouTube Logo

Were you forwarded this newsletter? Click here to subscribe to FutureTech Spark News for monthly events, scholarships and after-school opportunities for future techs.

Covid Pandemic Highlights Value of Transportation Techs

Covid Pandemic Highlights Value of Transportation Techs

Robert Schonberner, a man in perhaps his early 20s, stands in a garage with arms crossed leaning on a dissembled engine block.
Robert Schonberner is a recipient of a TechForce scholarship he is using to study automotive tech and restoration this fall.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shattered many preconceived notions about careers and technology. In particular, demand for transportation technicians is surging as the government has declared transportation technicians (mechanics) to be essential workers.

However, many people, including students contemplating future options and individuals contemplating career changes, are unaware of the opportunities and the potential for success in transportation technology and repair.

Often underestimated as “blue collar” or “grease monkey” jobs transportation technicians are in fact high-tech “new collar” jobs that depend on computer skills and fluency with the latest in digital engineering. Transportation technicians are in high demand and critical to maintaining and restoring America’s economy during the pandemic and beyond. These skilled workers literally keep America rolling by ensuring that the trucks delivering food, medicine, and other supplies get to their destinations as efficiently as possible, and that emergency responders’ vehicles transport them quickly and safely.

In addition, many people are choosing to repair and maintain older vehicles instead of buying new ones, which adds to the demand for skilled transportation technicians.

Recent surveys show an increased interest in transportation technology work, both among younger students and career changers whose jobs may have been lost or furloughed because of the pandemic. Surveys of high school students show that more than half are open to something other than a four-year degree, and 70 percent want to follow their own educational path.

“Despite record rates of unemployment, there continues to be strong demand for our graduates,” says Jerome Grant, CEO of Universal Technical Institute. “Employers need skilled technicians to fill essential jobs and, as many in our nation look for new paths to prosperity, we’re seeing growing interest in our programs and in technical careers.”

Transportation technology appeals to hands-on learners with an interest in and enthusiasm for the state-of-the art engineering.

“A NASA space shuttle has approximately 400 thousand lines of code, but a modern car has approximately 100 million lines of code,” according to Mike Pressendo, chief marketing and strategy officer of the TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports students through their education into successful careers as professional technicians. “These are skilled, well-paying, technical jobs.”

The TechForce Foundation reaches out to both young students and career changers with a career guide, available at techforce.org/careerguide, and a “Because I’m a Tech” promotional campaign, in which technicians share their stories of successful and secure skilled technician careers.

For additional information about secure, successful careers in transportation technology, visit techforce.org.

 

###

 


 

Meet the inspiring students receiving the Justin Beutel Memorial Scholarship

Meet the inspiring students receiving the Justin Beutel Memorial Scholarship

Scottsdale, Ariz – August 24, 2020 – TechForce Foundation has the privilege to award the Justin Beutel Memorial Scholarship to qualified, dedicated and passionate motorcycle technician students. The two students recently selected to receive the award both show strong dedication to their education and exhibit exceptional drive and tenacity.

Congratulations to Jazmine (left) and Elizabeth (right), students at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix, Arizona! Both women show a passion for, and commitment to, their motorcycle technician training, having exhibited great persistence to pursue their education.

Scholarship recipients Jazmine and Elizabeth stand in a motorcycle technician classroom on either side of a white motorcycle.

A shared dream

We asked Jazmine and Elizabeth what their dream technician careers would look like. From their answers, we found they have more in common than simply their interest in motorcycles.

Jazmine writes, “I have always had an interest in the ’Investigate and Resolve’ aspect of my career. I have a passion for motorcycles and have been riding one for over 5 years. My dream career would be to own an all-female operating motorcycle shop.”

Elizabeth shares Jazmine’s dream of owning her own shop, “My dream career is owning a motorcycle garage where I service motorcycles and I train others to do the same and to learn the methods of business… in this garage I will have the ability to train people who are recovering from addiction, or perhaps have been in prison. In addition, this garage will have a “hang-out” space. As my business grows, I will invest back into tech schools, to see other people receive training.”

Jasmine and Elizabeth’s shared dream of owning their own shop reflects the spirit of the Award’s namesake, Harley Davidson Master Mechanic Justin Beutel. In 2018 Justin’s life was tragically ended by an intruder on his family’s property, only a few short months after achieving his dream of founding a motorcycle shop of his own. Although he is deeply missed, Justin is remembered by those who loved him through this award.

Getting to know the winners: Jazmine

Scholarship recipient Jazmine stands in a motorcycle technician classroom next to a white motorcycle.Jazmine is very tenacious. “My rule of thumb when working is to do what I can, when I can, while I can. Every job is important no matter how small. I always have a “can-do” attitude towards completing my work and take pride in my work ethic.”

Her “do-what-I-can” attitude applies to her community as well. “I make it a point to be kind, respectful, compassionate and empathetic towards all that I come across. I have always been an active volunteer for The Humane Society, Operation Kindness, and Meals on Wheels,” she writes.

Jazmine is committed to her education. It is the promise of charting her own course that keeps her motivated, “Between school and work I am pulling in around 75 hours per week. It’s exhausting and sometimes I wonder ‘Why am I doing this at all?’ especially during a pandemic. But I do it because I know I am working towards something… I am in the point in my life where I know what I want to do, where I want to be, and who I want to be. I continue every day to hustle, do my best and make sure that all the sacrifices I’ve made to get me where I am, will have not been made in vain.”

Getting to know the winners: Elizabeth

Scholarship recipient Elizabeth stands in a motorcycle technician classroom next to a white motorcycle.Elizabeth is a strong advocate for trade careers, and she leads by example. Her outlook on life has been shaped by experience, “It has been my life experience that hard work, honesty and reliability are the means to success. Learning a trade presents the opportunity to contribute to society and to generate income without acquiring great debt. I have children whom I have taught to work in order to afford the things that they want. I have been successful in supporting my children through hard work and am excited to add another trade to that foundation… hard labor is good for the soul, and completing physical tasks is therapeutic, building confidence and self-esteem.”

In addition to school and work, Elizabeth also volunteers time to support her community. “I’ve done community service with Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon. I helped start an unconventional church and serve food weekly, while also providing emotional support to members. I also volunteer in my daughters’ schools, helping to chaperone.”

The recent pandemic has not changed Elizabeth’s drive, “It is very important to continue even through such hard and unpredictable events. I am sending a very strong and very clear message to my three daughters and classmates – CONTINUE ON, within reason and with careful consideration, do not quit, do not stop. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I will view this as a success if I have uplifted those around me as I have moved forward.”

The Award

Congratulations again to Jazmine and Elizabeth on their selection to receive the Justin Beutel Memorial Scholarship! The funds awarded to each student will help with the costs of pursuing their motorcycle technician training.

About TechForce Foundation

TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional transportation technicians. The Foundation distributes more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors. Also, it spearheads an industry-wide initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For information on TechForce Foundation’s scholarships, visit techforce.org/scholarships. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

 


 

 

“Preserve the Passion” Unveiled by America’s Automotive Trust and Its Partner Charities

From left to white the logos of TechForce Foundation, America's Automotive Trust, LeMay America's Car Museum and RPM Foundation.

America’s Automotive Trust and Its Partner Charities Unveil “Preserve the Passion℠”

National initiative aims to preserve and evolve car culture,
community, and careers across the country.

 

TACOMA, Wash. (August 4, 2020) — America’s Automotive Trust and its partner organizations have unveiled a new movement aimed at preserving and evolving car culture throughout the North America, building the automotive enthusiast community, and creating new avenues to education and careers for those who love to work on cars.

The movement – called “Preserve the Passion” – focuses on five key initiatives: Youth STEM Education; Workforce Development; Women Driving Change; Car Culture & Community; and Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Mobility. Driving this movement are four prominent and influential automotive-minded nonprofits working together under a shared CEO: America’s Automotive Trust, LeMay – America’s Car Museum, RPM Foundation and TechForce Foundation.

“Imagine if nonprofits worked together to achieve a common goal,” said CEO Jennifer Maher. “That’s what we’re doing with Preserve the Passion. We’re ensuring that our automotive workforce thrives, that our collectibles and history are cherished, and that car culture will be enjoyed for generations to come. How? By igniting the passion of young people and harnessing the combined resources and strengths of our organizations and those companies and individuals who have a stake in the future of the automobile industry.”

“No one business or nonprofit can do it alone,” Maher added. “We must collaborate and bring all our resources collectively into the lives of the next generation, so that they can be successful in pursuing the hobby, the knowledge, the technical education, the career, and the access they desire. If we’re serious not-for-profits, then we can work together instead of competing. We hope more museums, car shows, associations, auctions, employers, technical schools and nonprofits join us.”

“This is a really exciting way of moving the ball forward and the kind of collaboration for which the automotive world has been crying out,” said Corry McFarland, board chair of America’s Automotive Trust. “Preserve the Passion is going to drive the future of car culture. Thanks to these efforts, the young people who are engaged today will become the designers, technicians, hobbyists and collectors of tomorrow. More women will become enthusiasts. Our workforce will be more secure. And the great cars of the past will be preserved, driven and admired for years to come. I couldn’t be more proud to be involved in this movement.”

“These organizations have been instrumental in supporting our students and programs in automotive and restoration,” said Cody Metcalf, auto shop instructor with East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa. Arizona. “They’ve provided seed funding to launch our restoration program and resources for our automotive shop, and connected our students with some great VIP experiences. This new Preserve the Passion strategy perfectly aligns how they collaboratively support students, educators, and enthusiasts.”

For more information about Preserve the Passion, please contact Mike Bush at 253-307-3225.

 

###

 

About America’s Automotive Trust
America’s Automotive Trust convenes like-minded nonprofits working together to preserve and evolve car culture, community, and careers. Its purpose is to fuel five key initiatives: Youth STEM Education, Workforce Development, Women Driving Change, Car Culture and Community; and Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Mobility. As a part of those initiatives, America’s Automotive Trust fosters the love of driving and a sense of community through Club Auto and Concours Club. America’s Automotive Trust is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) and its partner organizations include LeMay – America’s Car Museum, TechForce Foundation, and RPM Foundation. For more information, visit www.americasautomotivetrust.org.

 

 


 

Please share your contact details and a TechForce team member will contact you.


"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."
Tony Farr
Ford Technical Programs Manager