The FutureTech Success Campaign

Above is a message from Jennifer Maher | CEO & Executive Director

What does a rapidly shrinking workforce mean for a booming industry rooted in the fast paced world of cutting-edge technology? The perfect storm is afoot. This is exactly the catastrophe staring down the world of transportation tech. With seasoned technicians retiring at an astounding rate, there are simply not enough individuals trained and ready to take their place.

The Challenge: 

The transportation industry faces a critical shortage of trained technicians needed to fulfill the workforce demand.

The Solution:

Fuel an industry wide marketing campaign to:

  1. Reposition the image of the technician.
  2. Provide experiential opportunities for middle school & high school students
  3. Connect the passion and sense of purpose of students who discover they love working with their hands and are excited to pursue a technical education.

Read the flipbook above for more details.

Autoshop Solutions to Build FutureTech Successsm Website

Autoshop Solutions to Build FutureTech Successsm  Website, Adding Fuel to TechForce Foundation’s Campaign

Autoshop Solutions has donated a generous $50,000 in in-kind services to TechForce Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit purposed with supporting technical students to and through their education and into careers in the transportation industry, toward building a website to serve the FutureTech Success sm  campaign.

TechForce Foundation has been working tirelessly to build momentum on FutureTech Success sm , an industry wide initiative to fuel the pipeline of future technicians by modernizing the image of the profession, giving middle and high school students and their parents and influencers the resources to recognize and foster tactile intelligence and providing a central industry hub of information, resources and best practices.

Through FutureTech Success sm , a vast array of features will be made available to prospective and current tech students, their parents and influencers, and industry insiders. In order to be effective in conveying the message of FutureTech Success sm , TechForce needs to able to connect its audience to its multitude of resources in a straightforward, engaging manner.

“We have impressive content, now it’s time for an equally impressive website on which to present it,” explains Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “The initiative requires a modern, functional site designed to seamlessly blend innovation and usability—and no one is better suited for the task than one of the industry’s leading web design and internet marketing agencies, Autoshop Solutions.”

Autoshop Solutions knows the online component of the automotive industry inside and out, having been a major industry player for nearly as long as the internet itself has been around. What started out as a humble consulting firm has turned into a full marketing and web design dynasty, earning the company industry-wide acclaim and a six year reign on the Auto Inc. Top Ten Best Websites Awards list.

TechForce strongly believes that FutureTech Success sm has the potential to be a major game-changer regarding the industry wide technician shortage, but in order to have the massive impact expected of it, the initiative needs the right tools. Through the marriage of Autoshop Solutions’ web design and internet marketing expertise and TechForce Foundation’s industry information, resources and connections, the FutureTech Success sm website is poised to be the central hub the industry needs to find its way out of the current technician shortage.

“Everyone goes to the internet for everything—it’s the main information hub,” says Margaret Klemmer, Chief Business Development Officer for Autoshop Solutions. “FutureTech Success sm is poised to do great things, but in order to gain serious traction in our media-heavy society, a clean, well-organized, exciting website is essential,” she continued.

Autoshop Solutions’ generous donation not only allows TechForce the aesthetic, effective website essential in promoting FutureTech Success sm , but it also frees up the money that would have otherwise gone to building the site to be used instead for other technician support. Working with one of the best in any field can often be an expensive endeavour, but Autoshop Solutions refused to let money be a roadblock for the Foundation, offering up its very best in service to the industry.

TechForce Foundation is proud to partner with the industry’s preeminent web design and internet marketing provider, Autoshop Solutions, to create the FutureTech Success sm website and further its missions to fuel the pipeline of future technicians in order to bring about a brighter future for the transportation industry.


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 technicians for the transportation industry. TechForce Foundation  awards roughly $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually to students facing financial hardship so they may obtain their post-secondary technical education. Additionally, TechForce leads the FutureTech Success sm , campaign, an industry-wide initiative to drive tomorrow’s workforce of technicians by inspiring, supporting and connecting middle- and high-school students and their influencers with the resources to support their technical education and career development. For more information visit www.techforce.org.

About Autoshop Solutions

Autoshop Solutions is the industry’s leading website design and internet marketing agency. Since 2005, Autoshop Solutions has been known as the expert in automotive internet marketing, helping shop owners grow their businesses by marketing-by-the-numbers through a tested, tracked and developed program guaranteed to improve online presence and drive more cars to

TechForce Foundation Awarding $5,000 in Scholarship Funds to the Arkansas Trucking Association

TechForce Foundation Invests in the Workforce Readiness of Arkansas Diesel Technicians by Awarding $5,000 in Scholarship Funds to the Arkansas Trucking Association

TechForce Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit purposed with championing students as they pursue their technical education and careers as professional technicians in the transportation industry, has granted the Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) $5,000 to award financially disadvantaged students with tuition scholarships so they may attend any of the accredited diesel/heavy truck technical programs throughout Arkansas.

The current technician shortage spans every inch of the industry, and the solution to this problem lies in unity. Through its support of the ATA, TechForce Foundation demonstrates its commitment to working closely with each facet of the world of transportation tech to be the voice of that united front.

Major industry pillars, such as trucking, have the power to drastically affect the overall health of the industry—and the diesel technicians in training today are the force that will uphold that pillar in the not-so-distant future. The logistics and transportation industry connects every corner of the nation, providing vital services through the distribution of the goods and materials utilized in virtually every aspect of the United States economy.

“Trucks have to keep rolling in order for the U.S. to maintain a healthy, stable economy, and diesel mechanics are what keep those trucks rolling,” explains Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “TechForce is partnering with the ATA to empower students pursuing education and careers as diesel technicians, and to ensure this highly-skilled workforce necessary to maintain our country’s economic stability is readily available.”

The ATA’s mission is straightforward: look out for the collective interests of the trucking industry through raising awareness of how integral the field is to the American economy and serve its members to promote growth and prosperity. TechForce Foundation’s message is much the same. The transportation industry plays a major role in so much more than the average individual is aware. It’s what keeps America moving forward, and the foundation of that movement is the technician workforce.

TechForce Foundation and the ATA look forward to the ways in which their partnership will aid aspiring diesel/heavy truck technicians on the road to achieving a quality technical education and becoming the industry’s much needed, highly-skilled workforce.

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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 technicians for the transportation industry. TechForce Foundation  awards more than $1 million in scholarships and grants annually to students facing financial hardship so they may obtain their post-secondary technical education. Additionally, TechForce leads the FutureTech SuccessSM, campaign, an industry-wide initiative to drive tomorrow’s workforce of technicians by inspiring, supporting and connecting middle- and high-school students and their influencers with the resources to support their technical education and career development. For more information visit www.techforce.org.

About Arkansas Trucking Association

The Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) pursues its mission to advance the trucking industry’s image, efficiency, competitiveness and profitability through a comprehensive range of services, products and member benefits designed to help members compete and succeed. Members range from firms with 5 or fewer trucks to some of the nation’s largest freight and logistics companies. The ATA promotes the health of the Arkansas trucking industry on issues that have a direct impact on member companies and both state and national economies. The Association is owned and governed by more than 300 trucking companies and important industry suppliers.

Living the Dream: Journey of My Technical Career Magazine

As part of FutureTech Success, TechForce Foundation’s campaign to fuel the pipeline of future technicians, TechForce has published a digital magazine featuring stories from individuals who have “Been There, Done That” and found success in the transportation industry.

Long gone are the days of the “grease monkey” technician. Today’s technicians have to be well-versed in the most cutting edge technology out there, and a career as a technician is a great launch point into almost every aspect of the industry. Transportation technicians are not in a one track career. The opportunities are endless—but don’t just take our word for it. Read real-life stories, straight from the individuals who have had the chance to experience the rapidly changing and innovative world of transportation tech, to see the vast array of titles, responsibilities, and pathways available in the field.

Visit the FutureTech Success microsite to read Living The Dream: Journey of My Technical Career, updated periodically with new stories to provide fresh perspectives and information to individuals looking to pursue careers in transportation tech. Maybe you’ll see a friend, a child, a student, or even yourself in one of these stories.

For more information visit:

https://www.flipsnack.com/9EC969EBDC9/living-the-dream-journey-of-my-technical-career.html

ASE Challenges Students and Parents to Rethink Overlooking Technician Careers

 “…unlike many high-tech careers that require four, six, or even eight years of college, automotive technology careers can begin after just two years of education. As with any career, lifelong learning and continuing education is necessary, but the simple fact is, students in automotive technology can get out into the real world sooner – and with less college debt.”

Jobs in automotive technology bring together two qualities that can be very difficult to find in a career; they are high-tech and accessible. Read more of Don’t Overlook Automotive Technology as a High-Tech Career Path, published by National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), to discover how automotive technology provides a world of opportunity to pursue high-tech, stable career paths.

General Motors Supports STEM Education In Pursuit of Global Prosperity

General Motors has shown strong support for TechForce Foundation and our mission to encourage and support students pursuing post-secondary technical education and careers in the transportation industry. Their very generous grant of $140,000 will be poured into three exciting projects: the FutureTech Success SM campaign, tuition scholarships for the UTI Avondale GM Advanced Training program, and a pilot after-school program with the Arizona Science Center.

General Motors places a huge emphasis on its support of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs in seeking to foster economic growth and sustainability among communities worldwide. However, STEM does not just apply to IT or engineering, as many might think, it applies to many other functions within the transportation industry as well. General Motors has recognized this as an opportunity to combine its mission to better communities worldwide with TechForce’s mission to support the technicians of tomorrow.

The transportation industry is growing at an exponential rate, and the need for skilled workers is in high demand. This provides a very promising future for those pursuing careers in the field. “If we can help individuals who are motivated to pursue this kind of challenge discover the industry and get excited about the vast opportunities it holds, we are one step closer to creating the smart, safe, and sustainable communities General Motors has long been dedicated to building,” explains Dan Hancock, retired General Motors Vice President and current President of TechForce Foundation’s Board of Directors.

In working together to achieve this goal, General Motors became one of eight Early Adopters supporting TechForce’s FutureTech Success campaign with a $50,000 donation.

This campaign, set to launch in May 2017, is TechForce Foundation’s surge to fuel the future pipeline of transportation technicians by giving individuals the tools to recognize and foster tactile intelligence, as well as get connected with the industry to discover what opportunities await them.

General Motors’ partnership with FutureTech Success shows its dedication to helping young people find good careers that they are passionate about, and that will provide them with a successful and fulfilling future. The transportation industry is a booming industry, saturated with technological advancements, which will be indispensable in constructing prosperous communities for future generations. General Motors has taken note of the very important role the transportation industry has the potential to play in its STEM-focused pursuit of global prosperity, and has shown incredible foresight in recognizing the future technicians FutureTech Success is purposed with cultivating as the backbone for such growth. General Motors’ support of FutureTech Success and its unwavering dedication to bettering the world through aiding technicians in achieving their dreams is both inspiring and greatly appreciated.

General Motors also donated an additional $40,000 to underwrite a pilot program with the Arizona Science Center as part of the FutureTech Success campaign. This after-school program will provide kids with the opportunity to experience tech in a hands-on, interactive way. “We believe that today’s youth constitute such an important aspect of General Motors’ mission to foster widespread economic growth and prosperity,” adds Hancock. “A program such as this one allows kids the chance to really experience and get excited about tech. An individual with high tactile intelligence, but less of an affinity for a ‘traditional classroom education,’ might get to experience the world of tech and fall in love with a career they didn’t even know existed.”

While General Motors has a specific interest in providing younger individuals with the education and skills vital to building brighter futures, they also make it a priority to come alongside current tech students. General Motors granted TechForce $50,000 dedicated to tuition scholarships for students pursing the GM Advanced Training program at Universal Technical Institute’s campus in Avondale, AZ.

From the very start of an individual’s love for working with their hands, to achieving the career and lifestyle they have always wanted, General Motors has committed to doing whatever it takes to help create widespread stability and prosperity. When today’s young people are supported and invested in, the future holds great things. General Motors and TechForce Foundation look forward to fostering such a future through supporting both current and future technicians as they pursue the education and careers of their dreams.

 


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

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at

http://www.gm.com

Growing Technician Shortage What’s the Plan?

Concerns about a growing technician shortage aren’t new, and the problem’s not going to fix itself. We surveyed several industry leaders to get their opinions and well-reasoned solutions.

You might want to pour yourself a cup of coffee. In fact, you may want to brew a pot and call home to say you’ll be coming in late tonight. We have to talk about how to solve a shop challenge that we’ve known was coming, and it’s a big one.

Reports cite estimates of more than 600,000 middle-skill jobs going unfilled across the nation and we look like we’re in this group. We’ve had dozens of applicants for our technician openings and most seem unqualified. The industry-endorsed NATEF (National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation) generates approximately 30,000 graduates each year, and even with a boost from private automotive tech training schools, we’re still in need of new solutions. How did we get here and, more importantly, what can we do?

It’s notable that a century ago, in 1917, the United States Congress established a milestone priority to support hands-on learning titled the Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act. While this major federal act was aimed mainly at supporting educating youth for farming and agriculture, it led to successive Congressional support for training our nation’s skilled workers through the 20th century. Yet today, few would question deep concerns about the state of our nation’s skilled workforce.

A century ago, 90% of our nation worked in careers to provide 100% of our food supply; today 10% of our population produces 100% of our food stock. Meanwhile, the U.S. has mostly consolidated around metropolitan settings away from farms and largely relies on vehicles and public transportation. “We say we have an issue. It’s not just an issue, it’s a crisis,” said Chris Hadfield, Director of the Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence. “For every two technicians retiring, we have only one new entry coming in.”

Education policymakers and national leaders largely report that what is called Career Technical Education (CTE) is undergoing a renaissance needed in today’s public education. Jarrod Nagurka, Advocacy and Public Affairs Manager at the Association for Career and Technical Education, noted that from “both an employer value and practical relevance to keep kids in school, CTE works. The average high school graduation rate for Career Technical Education concentrators in 2012 was 93%, compared to the national graduation rate of 80% for other students. So a career in technical education benefits students in a variety of ways.”

Well, if CTE is worthy and the nation values it, why have we slipped backwards with our workforce? And perhaps more importantly, what can we do to help solve this for our industry?

Fast forward to 2017 and our current national Perkins Fund under Congress is a distant relative of the Smith-Hughes act. While Europe and other regions of the globe have sustained or grown their skilled workforce education and apprenticeship programs, the U.S. has reduced funding and now faces an unprecedented dilemma.

The Perkins Act is the federal government’s largest investment in technical education, but annual funding reauthorization has remained flat for 25 years. Kimberly Green, Executive Director of the Washington, D.C.-based organization Advance CTE, told us, “Since the Perkins funding has remained at pretty much the same level since 1991, it actually represents a 45% reduction when we factor inflation-adjusted dollars.”

We can see that at the end of a long day of discussions about automotive service anywhere across the nation, we’re likely to agree that public education is facing limitations. And it doesn’t look like reinforcements are coming from public education soon enough. A substantial and largely untapped opportunity is for us to get involved in new ways in our local communities, and there are many schools and young people who need us to reach out to them today.

Bill Haas, owner of Haas Performance Consulting, said, “We’ve been talking about this crisis for a good 15 years to my recollection, but I think it’s taken 15 years to get some people’s attention.” He added, “This problem of not having people enter the industry used to be masked by having enough people move around from shop to shop, but in the industry technicians are no longer moving among shops like they used to.”

Meanwhile, so long as everyday motorists hold antiquated images and myths about our industry, they’re largely unaware of the advancements of today’s technicians. Tony Molla, Vice President of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), observed, “From the general public’s point of view, nobody has had any trouble getting their cars fixed. So it really hasn’t been seen as a problem. But two things have changed. One is that vehicle technology has become much more complicated over a very short period of time and many technicians have had trouble keeping up with it. The second challenge is that the vast majority of techs who are servicing vehicles in our country are Baby Boomers, and I think that the attrition factor is kicking in.” Molla said the emerging problem is essentially finding qualified people with the skills to do the high-end work.

Another aspect of attracting youth into our field is being able to retain them once they’ve joined us. Haas noted, “The really astute shop owners have figured it out. They’re thinking, If I have this qualified guy who has the skills and the knowledge, I’d better do everything in my power to make sure he has no reason to leave.

Haas said that today’s most astute shop owners have improved their technician benefits to now include retirement programs, health insurance, paid holidays and time off with vacations.


Original article published on Motor.com

Written by Steve Ford

Photo by Steve Ford

Auto Care Association and TechForce Foundation Partner in FutureTech Success Campaign

The Auto Care Association has partnered with TechForce Foundation in its new national initiative, FutureTech Success, in an effort to fuel the pipeline of tomorrow’s workforce of technicians. As part of the Auto Care Association’s Job and Career Development program, the association will offer support to the initiative to deliver the message that being a transportation technician is a successful, in-demand and valued career path.

“Future technicians in the auto care industry have to be well-trained, dynamic in their thinking and passionate about the cars of today and tomorrow,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association. “We are proud to team up with TechForce Foundation and FutureTech SuccessSM to identify and encourage a better perception of the technician profession.”

FutureTech SuccessSM seeks to reposition the outdated “grease monkey” stereotype and bring back after-school and summer activities where young people can experience vehicle technology and how it relates to science, engineering, math and careers.

The initiative will focus on parents and influencers of 13-18-year-olds, and will provide hands-on opportunities for young men and women to experience the rewards of working and creating with their hands. The Auto Care Association and TechForce Foundation will work together to deliver a unified public message around transportation technician career opportunities and best practices.

“We aim to provide tactile-minded individuals and their parents and influencers with the resources and opportunities to discover the transportation industry as both a viable and exciting career option,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO, TechForce Foundation.

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.

About the Auto Care Association
Based in Bethesda, Md., the Auto Care Association has nearly 3,000 member companies that represent some 150,000 independent automotive businesses that manufacture, distribute and sell motor vehicle parts, accessories, tools, equipment, materials and supplies, and perform vehicle service and repair. Visit www.autocare.org.


Original article published by Auto Care Association

https://www.autocare.org/BlogDetail.aspx?id=3532&blogid=86&gmssopc=1

For more information, contact Katy McQuiston at katy.mcquiston@autocare.org.

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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."
Tony Farr
Ford Technical Programs Manager