The automotive industry continues to face a significant technician shortage, prompting organizations across the industry to seek new solutions for attracting and developing talent. One approach dealerships and shops are using is establishing apprenticeship programs.
To support these efforts, the National Automobile Dealers Association and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence have partnered up.
Together, they have developed apprenticeship programs and resources designed to help dealerships train the next generation of technicians, including those working on electric vehicles.
In this Q&A, Megan Dolan, the director of program development and dealership operations at NADA, discusses the growing importance of apprenticeships at dealerships, the role of mentorship in technician development, and how dealerships can create environments that encourage apprentices to build long-term careers in the automotive industry.
How are NADA and ASE working together to increase apprenticeships and the number of technicians at dealerships?
Megan Dolan: We represent 16,500 franchise dealers nationwide, about 90% of the total. Our partnership with ASE developed a couple of years ago. As NADA started to develop its apprenticeship program, we partnered with ASE and used their maintenance and light repair apprenticeship program and adjusted it for EVs. This was so we could include that as part of the competencies.
We also developed a set of resources that dealerships can use to develop an apprenticeship on their own. We know that there are dealerships out there that are interested. They just don't know where to start. As a response to that, we have a set of 30-plus free resources at www.nada.org/aib, outside our firewall. This resource is available to anyone, not just dealerships.
The materials include things like an evaluation for your dealership on readiness for an apprenticeship program and what the gaps may be. It includes compensation guidance for apprentices and mentors, onboarding calendars and information about how to go through that process, and it's got an implementation guide. It has everything to help dealers get a leg up on where to start and how to keep their program successful.
Why are apprenticeship programs becoming increasingly important for the automotive industry?
Dolan: The industry will need approximately 400,000–500,000 new technicians over the next eight years, but technical schools are only producing 40,000–50,000 graduates annually.
This means dealerships and other shops are going to be responsible for training 20,000 to 30,000 technicians a year, and many don't currently have a way to do that. We think apprenticeships are the way to go.
What skills and experiences do apprentices gain through a dealership apprenticeship that they may not get in a classroom setting?
Dolan: The apprenticeship we offer in collaboration with ASE is for an automotive specialist with a focus on EVs. ASE also has a maintenance and light repair apprenticeship that focuses on just internal combustion engines.
For both apprenticeship programs, there are 190 competencies that—over the 2-year period of the apprenticeship—apprentices are asked to learn and then demonstrate.
They must demonstrate them three times at a level of proficiency or satisfaction to be considered complete. Unlike classroom learning—in the apprenticeship program—it is ensured that they know how to independently perform these competencies accurately and efficiently.
What role do mentors play in the success of an apprentice technician?
Dolan: They are critical to the process. The model we recommend in our apprenticeship program is that each apprentice is assigned a mentor. The mentor needs to be good at what they do, but they also must want to share their knowledge.
The people chosen as mentors aren't always necessarily the top performers in the shop. Sometimes it's a technician who has good people skills and is willing to answer questions.
As a mentor, you aren't necessarily with the apprentice 100% of the time. It just means that the apprentice has somebody primarily responsible for their success. Mentorship is a key position.
How can dealerships create a supportive environment that encourages apprentices to stay and build long-term careers?
Dolan: The first step is that we strongly encourage that they do job shadowing before they bring the apprentice in. Even with the technical schools, we're finding that students are coming out and have never experienced a full working dealership. We want to make sure they understand what the day-to-day environment and culture in those situations is.
It is also important that the non-mentor technicians know how to interact with the apprentices. We want to ensure the entire shop team knows how to interact with the apprentices.
Additionally, it's important to ensure there is leadership. We recommend an apprenticeship champion. An executive leader at each dealership who can advocate at the highest level. Even with an executive leader, it still takes the whole dealership to make apprentices feel welcome and part of the team.
