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[Podcast] RR 450: Michael Eilbracht – Becoming an Industry Trainer


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Think about how many professional teachers found their calling. This is Michael Eilbracht and his take on becoming a trainer.

 

Michael Eilbracht knows he has found his calling to be an industry trainer and shares lessons on becoming a trainer. He has presented at Vision and will parlay his career as a Full-Time Transit Bus Technician, and owner of MJE Diagnostics into a professional Heavy Duty Electrical and Drive-ability Training Business. 

This is a ‘real story’ on finding your groove and sticking to it. Listen to the depth of his experience and for his passion to help people.

Michael Eilbracht is Full-Time Transit Bus Technician for the Champaign & Urbana Mass Transit District in Urbana, Illinois and also runs MJE Diagnostics which is a Heavy Duty Electrical and Drive-ability Training Business.  Michael has 22 years of experience as a Transit Bus technician with ASE Master Transit Bus Certification and is also an L2 Advanced Level Specialist. He also has numerous Factory Certifications from Cummins, Allison Transmission, ZF Transmissions, Detroit Diesel and Thermo King.

 

Michael has also been to OEM Training for New Flyer and Gillig Buses. For four years Michael also Instructed at Parkland College in Champaign IL for the Diesel Power Equipment Technology Program where he taught Intro to Electrical Systems for Agriculture, Heavy Equipment, and Motor Truck.  Michael started his Heavy Duty Electrical and Drive-ability Training Business 1 year ago. Michael enjoys instructing and helping others and takes great pride knowing that he is making a difference for the Heavy Duty Industry. For the future, Michael hopes to also be able to provide Mobile Diagnostic Services or his current customers and his new ones as well. He is also the Midwest Distributor for Autonerdz.com 

 

Key Talking Points:

  •  Aspires to be mobile heavy duty tech
    • Sees need and help requests from truck shops and dealerships
  • Trainer
    • Met with old diesel instructor and asked if he could instruct electrical for 4 years at community college
    • Learned diagnostics and saw advantages of niche market 
    • Loves training and keeps it relaxed and relate-able 
    • Has hands on instruction approach 
    • Encourages former students to reach out and ask for advice
  • Advice
    • Need constant  updated training 
    • Diesels aren’t the same as before- modules, controls etc

Resources:

  • Thanks to Michael Eilbracht for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
  • Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
  • Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

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This episode is brought to you by AAPEX, the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo. AAPEX represents the $740 billion AAPEX_logo_CMYK_with_tagline-1440x621.jpglobal automotive aftermarket industry and has everything you need to stay ahead of the curve. With 2,500 exhibiting companies, you’ll see the latest products, parts, and technologies for your business. As a result, the event also offers advanced training for shop owners, technicians, warehouse distributors (WDs) and auto parts retailers, as well as networking opportunities to grow your business. AAPEX 2019 will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5 through Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Therefore, more than 48,000 targeted buyers are expected to attend, and approximately 162,000 automotive aftermarket professionals. They will be from 135 countries which are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX 2019. For information, visit aapexshow.com

 

Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 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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