Need to hire good service technicians? The answer is right down the street - at your local high school or college.
Demand for automotive technicians is greater than ever.
More baby boomers retire every day, and we are competing with other skilled trades for the best young people. Sure, you can hire seasoned techs away from other businesses. But that's costly and there is no guarantee they will stay for long or fit into your business culture. There is a better way. Grow your own! Yes, that takes time, but it enables you to choose and nurture the technicians who will grow with you and are more likely to stay long-term.
How do you find and train those future techs?
There are students right now who are taking automotive training classes at your local high school or college. And the good news is that the school provides them with the fundamental training they need to get started.
But this needs to be a two-way street. Schools want to provide well-trained entry-level technicians, but they need your help and input to be successful and meet your employement needs. Schools need partners from industry to provide advice and guidance, demonstrate career opportunities for their students, and help those students get the hands-on experience that will grow their skills and encourage them to stick with an automotive career.
Partnership is the answer.
When you support your local school’s training program, you are not only building the future pipeline of talent for your service bays. You can also grow community awareness for your business, find candidates for a variety of jobs in your company, and build teamwork and morale.
Does partnership make a difference?
Absolutely! Many businesses hire students while they are still in school. Done right, this “work-based learning” reinforces classroom instruction and increases students’ hands-on skills, making graduates more productive from the start. Research shows that students who participate in work-based learning are more likely to join the transportation service industry and remain there long-term. By supporting your local schools, you help solve the technician shortage and increase retention. Everyone wins!
How much money and time do you need to invest?
That depends on you. You can start working with your school very simply and grow the partnership as you see the benefits grow. Keep in mind that you are really investing in your business as well as your community. And we are here to help with a plan and plenty of action steps you can take.
Want to learn more? Start here: get the free ASE Adopt-A-School toolkit today.
The Adopt-A-School program is powered by the ASE Education Foundation. Our mission is to bridge the gap between businesses in the transportation industry and the schools in their local communities. This mutually beneficial program enables businesses to provide support to their local schools, while simultaneously providing those businesses with access to up-and-coming automotive service professionals entering the work force.
Complete the form below and we will provide you access to the Adopt-A-School Toolkit. It consists of activities, videos, presentation tools, checklists, best practices, talking points, engagement ideas and so much more. We will also put you in touch with a local ambassador, one of our Field Managers, to help you connect with schools in your area.
Ready to get started?
Complete the form below.
About the ASE Education Foundation
The ASE Education Foundation works with over 2,300 automotive technology training programs and over 100,000 students nationally to provide the transportation industry a viable workforce through standards and credentials for institutions, organizations and individuals. The Foundation also offers career development and workplace exposure by creating relationships and partnerships with employers.
