TechForce program encourages kids to consider auto tech careers

LAS VEGAS — TechForce Foundation, a non-profit industry organization, has launched a campaign to develop a pool of qualified technicians for the vehicle repair business by reaching out to middle- and high-school students.

The campaign, FutureTech Success, created by Greg Settle, TechForce director of national initiatives, and Jennifer Maher, TechForce CEO/executive director, has a threefold purpose:

• Give middle-school and high-school students, parents and influencers the tools and experiences to recognize and foster tactile intelligence;

• Help reposition the image of the profession; and

• Help the industry speak with a collective voice with regard to its workforce development needs.

"Our goal is to identify and provide naturally talented tactile learners with the after-school programs, clubs and activities, mentors and experiences that allow them to engage with the highly advanced and rapidly expanding world of vehicle technology so they — and their parents and influencers — understand there are prosperous technical career opportunities that they may not have considered," Mr. Settle said.

TechForce, a non-profit created originally to support students of Universal Technology Institute (UTI), has expanded to providing support to tech students at any school and is governed by a board of industry professionals, which distributes more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually.

While still supported by UTI, TechForce is a separate entity from UTI, Ms. Maher said.

"We're here to advocate career paths and support, get mentors and provide scholarships/grants for students," she said.

Quantifying the need

The need for techs is greater than ever, according to TechForce's recent report, "Transportation Technician New Entrant Demand," which reveals the severity of the vehicle technician shortage.

Employers have complained about the tech shortage and challenges finding qualified technicians for several years, but historically the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) projections did not seem to support the shortage claims, according to TechForce.

Based on an analysis of BLS data and its new methodology for job projections issued in October, TechForce found that the estimated demand for "new entrant" vehicle technicians is much higher than previously reported.

The report said the newly projected BLS average annual new entrant demand of 75,900 auto technicians for the 2016-26 period is more than triple the previous BLS projected demand of 23,720 technicians for the 2014-24 period.

"New entrant" technicians are defined as those needed to fill both the growth in new positions and replacement of those leaving the occupation.

They are distinguished from experienced technicians, who change employers and subsequently don't affect the overall trained workforce numbers.

Moreover, by extrapolating data from the economy and vehicles in use, TechForce said it made annual projections that are much more useful for industry planning than a 10-year average, which masks the cyclical trends of individual years.

In the case of auto technicians, the highest demand in the next five years is 92,071 in 2018, while the lowest is predicted to be 65,020 in 2021.

The BLS had assigned an annual replacement rate of existing technicians retiring or changing occupations at only 2.7 percent of total technicians, which seemed to underestimate Baby Boomer retirements, TechForce said, but new BLS projections improve the replacement methodology. It now forecasts about a 9-percent turnover.

TechForce said its report is "the first to provide annual historical and projected demand that also utilizes the new BLS replacement rate. The great benefit is that the numbers now correspond to and appropriately reflect actual industry experience."

The demand for diesel technicians also is revised with the newly projected BLS average annual new entrant demand of 28,300 diesel technicians exceeding the previous projected demand of 7,690.

"It is vital that business correlates the importance of technicians and the health of its bottom line, and as a nation, that we recognize the consequences a significant workforce shortage yields, both in hurting an important sector of the economy, while also leaving solid, middle-class jobs unfilled," the report noted.

"BLS had underestimated the replacement component of demand — replacing existing technicians who have retired, been promoted or decided to find a new career. That methodological problem has been rectified with the new projections just issued by the BLS for the 2016-2026 period," said Mr. Settle, one of the co-authors of the report.

"The TechForce report is the first to provide annual historical and projected demand that also utilizes the new BLS replacement rate. The great benefit is that the numbers now correspond to actual industry experience and explain why the shortage occurred and why it has persisted," added Doug Young, co-author of the report and managing director of Wilcap L.L.C.

The full report is available at techforcefoundation.org.

A perfect storm

What has exacerbated the technician shortage to the point of the "perfect storm" are essentially three things, according to Mr. Settle: "We're caught in the middle of a strong, growing economy; a 'catch-up' demand for technicians created by the Great Recession of 2008; and the increasing complexity of vehicles."

Other factors include reduced demand for techs in the past due to greater vehicle reliability, dealer consolidation and longer maintenance intervals.

"We have adequate training facilities for prospective technicians," Mr. Young said. "Our concentration has to be on getting young people interested in this vocation by changing the image of the 'grease monkey' mechanic that students and their parents, teachers and counselors may have."

Ms. Maher said the industry must "pool its resources and create and disseminate consistent public messaging highlighting the many and varied opportunities of a tech career."

"Right now, the industry is suffering from inadequate, fragmented financing for the cause. It's not enough for us to talk among ourselves. We have to pull together as an industry to first resolve it, and then to stay ahead of it so we never wind up in this position again," she said.

Grooming future techs

TechForce has created a website — futuretechsuccess.org — that contains information for students to ascertain their interest and aptitude for a technical career.

To assist students in their quest to become technicians, a number of resources are presented, including after-school and summer camp programs, a listing of technical schools, available internships and scholarships, a job board, needed certifications, industry events and industry associations, TechForce said.

Through the FutureTech Success campaign, TechForce said it will serve as the "collective hub," compiling resources throughout the industry and presenting them in a one-stop-shop microsite for future techs and their parents, school counselors, youth directors and other influencers.

Ms. Maher noted that parents who are trying to help their children decide on a career usually conduct online research.

"They need us to provide information for their children. Let us show you a pathway and help plug them in (to a tech career)," she said.

The site also will feature videos of automotive repair professionals sharing their technical experiences and insights. Likewise, students can share their own stories and join the FutureTech Success community.

The campaign's second purpose is to erase the negative "grease monkey" image.

"Not that this image was ever deserved, but today it is simply absurd," Ms. Maher said. "The complexity of today's vehicles rival some of the most sophisticated aircraft — and the technical and computer knowledge, as well as the tactile and STEM skills required to work on them, is truly amazing."

She said that striving to be a vehicle technician today is hardly a "fall back" career but rather a desirable profession with readily available and unlimited opportunities across several market segments ranging from automotive, motorcycles, motorsports and boats to medium- and heavy-duty trucks to collision repair and the machinery used in construction, mining and agriculture.

So far, 14 corporations have signed on as partners to the campaign, TechForce said, and several industry associations are supporting the effort.

Campaign ambassador

As FutureTech Success Ambassador, Ms. Landauer will work with the foundation through media appearances, public service announcements and fundraising efforts to inform and inspire young, tactile-minded individuals seeking to pursue careers in the field of transportation tech.

Since graduating from Stanford University with a degree in science, technology and society, Ms. Landauer has made it her goal to apply such subjects to the world of racing.

"Some people are a great fit for suit-and-tie careers, and others are built to build — to work with their hands. We are all wired differently," Ms. Landauer said.

"That's the message TechForce is projecting through FutureTech Success and why I am so excited to be an ambassador of the cause. It is so important for young people to discover early on what they click with, and for their parents and other authority figures to provide them with the tools, opportunities and support to develop those gifts and build exciting futures."