Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association, today released the following statement in response to the introduction of the “Promoting Service in Transportation Act” sponsored in the Senate by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and in the House by Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-2):

“We applaud Senator Peters and Representative Rick Larsen’s introduction of the Promoting Service in Transportation Act. This bill provides appropriations to support a federal public awareness campaign to increase awareness of careers in the transportation industry, including auto mechanics and technicians. Maintenance and repair technicians keep the American fleet rolling. As modern cars become more and more high-tech, it is essential to have a skilled workforce that can expertly diagnose and repair these vehicles. As every year goes by the demand for technicians with the skills to work on today’s highly sophisticated vehicle systems increases with a growing gap in the number of qualified individuals available to meet that demand. The auto care industry is hiring. And shops and repair centers all across the country have rewarding and well-paying openings for auto technicians that want to tackle today’s and the next generation of advanced vehicle technology."