LAS VEGAS — The organizers of this year's Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) are dedicating a session Nov. 1 to exploring the options the industry has to help recruit and prepare the next generation of automotive technicians.
Citing a shrinking pool of qualified auto technicians, the organizers of AAPEX said the "Service Professionals General Session" on Nov. 1 will tackle this key issue, addressing topics such as how to build rewarding careers for auto techs and ensuring they have the skills to repair vehicles equipped with new technology, regardless of where they are employed in the automotive aftermarket.
The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF), with an alliance of aftermarket organizations and industry support, is leading the general session, "Automotive Career Pathways: The Road to Great Technicians."
The session will help identify career paths for current and future technicians and how students, parents, instructors and shop owners all play a role in career development. It will look at establishing a curriculum to ensure that technicians are uniformly trained and certified for their milestones of achievement, and ultimately, that they choose to stay in the automotive aftermarket industry.
Panelists will include Donny Seyfer, executive officer and shop owner, NASTF; Chris Chesney, senior director of customer training, Carquest Technical Institute; and Kyle Holt, president, S/P2.
Carm Capriotto, podcast host, Remarkable Results Radio Podcast, will moderate the general session, which will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. (PDT) at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, adjacent to the Sands Expo Center, where AAPEX is held.
The Service Professionals General Session is part of the comprehensive AAPEXedu program at this year's event. The general session and all AAPEXedu sessions are included in the AAPEX online registration fee, which is $40 through Oct. 12. To register, visit: aapexshow.com/attendee.
AAPEX is co-owned by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association, the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association.
For more information, visit aapexshow.com or e-mail: [email protected]. On social media, follow AAPEX at #AAPEX18.