High-paying careers at franchised dealerships exist in every community, especially for persons skilled as auto technicians. So, why are dealerships having a hard time hiring auto technicians?
To help provide answers, the ASE Education Foundation conducted a national survey of 4,741 high school students enrolled in auto tech courses during the Spring Semester of 2022. Here is a snapshot of the survey results:
Sixteen percent of the students surveyed plan on going directly to work at a dealership, while nearly twenty-three percent would like to continue with a formal auto tech program.
How do we attract students from both groups into our dealerships? Additional surveys conducted for OEMs and other industry stakeholders found the ability to provide a defined Career Path stands out as the strongest incentive to attract and keep technicians at dealerships.
Recently, the Board of the North Texas Automobile Dealers approved the development of an entry-level Auto Tech Training Program called Fast Track. This work-based learning training program is designed to meet the needs of high school graduates/military veterans & incumbent workers at franchised dealerships to provide the opportunity to be trained in light engine repair. https://www.ntxad.com/fast-track-automotive-technician-program.
Trainees must be employed at an NTXAD dealership for 12 months to secure ownership of the tools. Funds for the scholarship and tools were made possible by NTXAD member dealers and select OEMs who supported the NTXAD Auto Tech Competition that was held at Texas Motor Speedway on Dec. 2, 2021.
The initial Fast Track program was launched this summer at Tarrant County College with 11 students in the class.
The next phase of the Fast Track Training Program will be held at the Brookhaven Campus of Dallas College.
Applicants accepted into the Fast Track Training Program are awarded a scholarship from NTXAD to cover the classroom and hands-on instruction.
Upon successfully completing the five-week course, trainees will receive a starter set of tools from NTXAD.
Trainees must be employed at an NTXAD dealership for 12 months to secure ownership of the tools. Funds for the scholarship and tools were made possible by NTXAD member dealers and select OEMs who supported the NTXAD Auto Tech Competition that was held at Texas Motor Speedway on Dec. 2, 2021. https://www.ntxad.com/automotive-careers-education/auto-tech-competition-2/.
To participate in Fast Track, dealers agree to work with the NTXAD to establish a career pathway for new hires during the initial year of employment. The career pathway may include OEM Certification Programs or automotive training classes with our education partners at Tarrant, Dallas, Collin and Hill Colleges.
Trainees are in class Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon and available to work Monday through Thursday afternoon and all day Friday and Saturday.
Following the successful completion of the program, hourly rates will be determined by the level of skills demonstrated by the trainee to maintain continued employment at the dealership.
Roy Plumlee, NTXAD’s Industry & Education Partnership Manager, is the instructor for the Fast Track Program. Roy is an ASE Certified Master Tech and a former Texas State Technical College instructor.
The total value of the Fast Track Program provided by dealers to each student is $4,500, plus tools. The total value of the Fast Track Program to each student: priceless.
