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Will Technology Attract Young People to Our Industry?


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  • 2 weeks later...

slowtech,

I don't believe that is true. An entry level tech is going to make 20K plus with the expectation to move up pretty quickly. Within a year that tech should be making 30K or there is a problem with their skills or their employers pay schedule. After several years a good tech should be making 50K or more. I don't know to many burger joints paying that kind of money.

Edited by Tires Too
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20k a year is about minimum wage in Oregon & Washington, what fast food workers get. Non skilled factory workers start at 25k around here, no trade school cost and no tool bill. If we want to fill the dropping ranks in available techs we need a new path.

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I always though New England had some of the highest costs of living and that wages were higher here than in many parts of the country. Around here a fast food worker is going to make around $8.00 per hour, $320 per week, $16000 per year. None skilled labor worker are maybe $12.00 per hour, $24K per year, if it's year round work. I haven't had issues finding good techs at our pay levels. We do pay 50% of the health insurance premiums, match dollar for dollar up to 3% of pay for retirement, pay for uniforms, training, ASE certifications etc. What's an entry level teacher making in your area? Around here $30k. That's with a 4 year degree and possibly $100k in student loan debt.

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Teachers here start about the same. Also get 2 months off during summer and retire at 55 with great pension. Good techs can also do well. The issue is attracting new talent with the right potential. A lot of potential gets lost because of cost of education and/or lack of experience. In our industry we need a proper apprenticeship program designed to build a new qualified work force that allows employees to earn & learn on the job.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         3 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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