Fixing cars is a tough business, one that takes a lot of experience and expertise to know every in and out of both newer cars and older models. Many experienced techs are now retiring, and California auto dealers have a solution to the brain drain; apprenticeships. The California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) has announced a partnership with the Automotive Apprenticeship Group (AAG) to enable aspiring techs to learn on the job rather than going to school first.
The shortage of qualified service techs is a problem everywhere. CNCDA says there are 400,000 job openings nationwide, and California dealers in particular are facing a shortage of 5,000 technicians. This is part of the reason why your next repair might be more expensive. The looming switch from internal combustion to electric vehicles makes this even more severe. Older, experienced techs are retiring, and younger people are not replacing them as they have in the past. CNCDA cites a misperception of limited opportunities for advancement and low wages as the reason.
While other programs, like Ford’s, have incentivized tech school students, this one would bring people into dealer service areas immediately. The two-year program will pay apprentices a fair wage, require no out-of-pocket expenses, and provide tools and a computer for e-learning. Apprentices will earn a U.S. Department of Labor certification upon completion. The AAG will take care of all the logistics, both for apprentices and dealers.
Potential candidates can apply online for consideration. The program is open to anyone, but may particularly appeal to people 18 to 30 years old who have not attended college. It’s a way to start a lucrative career in the automotive industry without getting buried in student debt.
There is no one right way
The reasons CNCDA gives for the current auto tech shortage are valid, but I would add another reason to that list. Many people, including me, were pushed directly to college after high school as The One Right Way, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
While there appears to be no strings attached to these apprenticeships, I can’t help thinking of truck drivers who were trained on the job, but then not allowed to work for another company, or forced to pay back all training costs if they didn’t finish, even if it wasn’t their fault. American Trucking Association, aka trucking industry lobbyist, also used a scary (mostly made up) number of missing truck drivers in order to push for younger recruits to take on larger responsibilities for less pay under the guise of “training.” It’s possible for apprenticeships to effectively become indentured servitude if allowed to run off the rails. However, the AAG is administering this program, not the dealers themselves, which will hopefully help youngsters avoid situations like these.
