When combined the labor charges reported for National Automotive Dealers Association, show that customers spent $18.9 billion dollars last year at dealership service departments for mechanical and body repairs. On top of that was nearly $10 billion was spent by the automotive industry on labor charges for warranty work and recall programs. These are significant numbers and account for a large portion of a dealership's profitable cash flow. It also means that today's auto technician have a great opportunity to earn a substantial annual income as a well-paid problem solver.
You would think the opportunity to train and advance more quickly through the ranks when compared to many other careers would have young people standing in line for jobs. But, that is simply not the case. In the past, a high school student who did not want to pursue a more liberal education being offered through a university system could learn the basics in shop class and be mentored in the field after graduation. Unfortunately, budget cuts and changes in curriculum ended many of those opportunities. Today, large sectors of the automotive industry have started collaborating with private technical schools to boost the output of expertly trained service technicians.
Postsecondary automotive training programs are now reporting placement of graduating students as high as 95%.. and right out of school. Moreover, these aren't students who have apprenticed in a specific area with an aging mentor to repair your transmission. These are expertly-trained service technicians who understand how to apply the latest electronics for testing and identifying the exact cause of a customer's problem. Coupled with a rapid turnover of the last generation of auto mechanics, young mechanics can expect to continue advancing at a rapid rate while this shortage continues to grow.
Here at E3 Spark Plugs, we're are excited to see that job opportunities within the automotive industry are leading to such viable career paths. After all, the new era of self-driving cars is likely call for much higher standards for safe operation of tomorrow's vehicles.
