Advance Auto Parts Inc. has announced its support of the FutureTech Success campaign, a nationwide program launched by the TechForce Foundation to recruit and educate the next generation of automotive industry technicians.
As many as half of today’s automotive technicians are likely to retire within the next 10 years. The FutureTech Success campaign strives to ignite conversation about the robust career opportunities in the automotive field among middle school and high school aged students, as well as with students’ parents.
FutureTech Success is tapping industry influencers and communicating across channels the millennial audience gravitate to, such as video and social media. Campaign organizers also are developing after-school and summer programs where students can learn firsthand about modern vehicle technology and its applications to career paths in science, math and engineering.
“The automotive industry must do a better job appealing to the millennial workforce," says Al Wheeler, senior vice president, commercial business at Advance Auto Parts. "Students today need to know that a career as a technician means using hi-tech equipment and critical thinking to diagnose complex technology and problems. And that the automotive field offers a career path with ample opportunities for growth. Advance is proud to support the FutureTech Success initiative to further these conversations across the country.”
Advance is committed to promoting technical training and continued education in the automotive industry. Through Carquest Technical Institute (CTI), which operates a 9,000-square-foot research and development center and offers instructor-led education programs throughout North America, Advance has developed a curriculum of automotive training classes designed to add structure to the career path of individuals entering and advancing through the aftermarket. Classes help address professional repair shops’ need for quality training among their employees, from weeklong onboarding events for new technicians to highly specialized master tech training.
Through its support of the FutureTech Success campaign and the TechForce Foundation, Advance will make available to students unique interactive training tools including Virtual Vehicle 3D animations, online repair simulator challenges and demos of MotoLOGIC Repair & Diagnostics advanced search technology, the company says.
For more information about Advance Auto Parts’ support of the TechForce Foundation’s FutureTech Success campaign, visit techforcefoundation.org/futuretech-success.
Additional information can be found at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.
