PHOENIX — There is a growing interest in trade careers; however there is still a lag in filling nearly 1 million vehicle technician jobs, including 471,000 automotive tech jobs, over the next five years, according to the TechForce Foundation's latest report.
The nonprofit organization's 2024 Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report highlights employment and post-secondary completion trends within four sectors — automotive, collision, diesel and aviation — while offering a five-year outlook for demand of new technicians entering the profession.
This is the second year in a row that the number of post-secondary graduates in all four sectors has increased, according to the report, while the cumulative number of employees across all sectors has grown by 2.8% year-over-year, signaling steady progress in filling the jobs pipeline and outpacing the overall U.S. labor force growth rate of 2%.
Following a positive trend in 2022, automotive post-secondary training completions increased 10.7% to more than 3,600 students in 2023.
"As an organization that — together with our donors and partners — works to correct the imbalance between technician supply and demand, it is encouraging to see continued growth in the number of graduates preparing to step into technician careers," TechForce CEO Jennifer Maher said.
"Through our innovative programming, TechForce is focused on elevating the role of technicians in society and communicating the many benefits of this career path, including competitive salaries, job stability and high placement rates. The report demonstrates that our efforts are making a difference, but also highlights the critical need to further strengthen the pipeline by supporting entry-level technicians through scholarships and workforce development programs, ensuring the demand for talent is met."
Over the next five years, nearly 1 million new-entry transportation technicians will be needed across all four sectors, the report said, indicating demand primarily is driven by the need to replace retiring or transitioning technicians, with less than 25% of the need stemming from growth in the automotive, collision and diesel sectors.
Between 2024 and 2028, more than 349,000 positions will be needed due to occupational separations, while 87,000 jobs will come from new growth.
These sectors are particularly affected by the economic trend of owners keeping vehicles longer, further amplifying the need for skilled technicians who can maintain and service aging fleets and personal vehicles, the report said.
In the diesel, automotive and collision sectors, replacement needs outpace workforce growth at a rate of more than 4-to-1.
"This year's Supply & Demand Report shows that progress is being made in filling the jobs pipeline, but also demonstrates a bottleneck in workforce development," Greg Settle, the report's author and director emeritus at TechForce, said.
"Closing the gap between technician demand and supply requires an 'all-hands-on-deck' approach, with collaboration among industries, policymakers and educators at every level."
TechForce suggested businesses help solve the technician shortage in several ways, including:
- Engage with students early, beginning in middle school and continuing through postsecondary education;
- • Cultivate relationships on the local level with school instructors and administrators through visits, donations, training aids and advisory boards;
- • Build awareness of the rewarding career opportunities available as transportation technicians and subsequent career paths not only with students, but with their parents, school faculty, administrators and local community leaders;
- • Use internships, mentorships and apprenticeships to connect with and engage students;
- • Encourage enrollment in post-secondary training programs to students as an effective means of jump starting their careers;
- • Contribute to the funding of scholarships for technical training; and
- • Provide support for non-profit organizations engaged in addressing the technician shortage, both through active partnerships and with financial contributions.
TechForce offers programming to encourage middle and high school students, veterans and others to explore and consider a technician career. The program connects potential students and working techs to schools, scholarships and grants, and helps place them in apprenticeships while offering job-seeking assistance.
Since 2007, TechForce has awarded more than $24 million in scholarships and grants to financially disadvantaged students.
To access the full 2024 Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report, visit TechForce.org/Supply&Demand.
