Is there a skills gap in collision repair?

Getting involved Repair shops need to establish a serious commitment to training in order to combat this growing skills shortage. Repair shops should invest time and energy working with local high schools, technical colleges, and trade schools. Automotive repair is a highly technical industry in which learning about new technologies is a never ending journey. With that in mind, repair shops need technicians with excellent communication skills, computer skills, written skills, as well as mechanical and electronic repair skills. Mentoring is another valuable opportunity to close the skills gap. Pairing a more skilled and experienced repair technician with a lesser skilled technician is a great way to develop and teach new skills to a less experienced technician. This approach goes a long way to closing skill-related gaps and creates a more productive work environment. Repair shops need to get involved with local high school automotive technology programs. The students who are enrolled in these programs are future employees of tomorrow. If repair shops are genuinely interested in wanting to hire the best students – the best future technicians - they need to begin partnering with local schools.Quality is a Priority The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has a certification program for schools through the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). It can be very difficult for schools to become ASE certified. Programs which have earned the ASE certification are quite good. Instructors in the automotive technology programs must be ASE certified. The curriculum they teach must be up-to-date and the students must have access to the appropriate tools and equipment. If the school’s program is ASE certified, repair shops are assured the students have been subjected to a large part of the automotive repair industry and are ready for the next level in collision repair.The Next Level Repair shops can improve their access to quality, skilled repair technicians by partnering with local high schools, local technical colleges, and local trade schools. Committing to strong civic-minded partnerships provides a great way of creating a pipeline of highly qualified future employees. Hosting “open house” nights at the repair facility and inviting teachers, school administrators, and parents of the students is a great strategy of engagement. The goal here is to teach everyone about the quality career paths available in the automotive repair space.