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Two specially outfitted Secret Service Chevrolet Suburbans will be on display just outside of “Joe’s Garage,” in a co-branded booth with ASE. Joe’s Garage is a key attraction at AAPEX because it features 10 fully operational service lifts. These are used throughout the show to support hands-on training and presentations.
A persistent shortage of auto technicians
Both organizations are exhibiting, in part, to raise awareness about the persistent shortage of auto technicians, even as demand for those services is poised to grow sharply. This is because Americans own 291 million cars and light trucks, and the average age of those vehicles is 12.8 years. Those aging vehicles commonly need more maintenance.
The dearth of qualified auto technicians poses several risks to consumer spending. Primarily, the shortage will drive up the cost of repairs, waiting times to complete those repairs, and could potentially dampen consumer choice in repair facilities. Electric vehicle (EV) owners are already feeling this pain; reporting shows just 28% of EV owners can get a same-day appointment.
“That the Secret Service needs ASE Certified auto technicians underscores the range of career opportunities in this industry,” said Dave Johnson, president and CEO of ASE. “It’s a technical career that requires far more than turning a wrench – modern vehicles are effectively ‘rolling robots’ with unprecedented levels of autonomous capabilities driven by hundreds of sensors and actuators that are controlled by more lines of code than a modern fighter jet.’
Auto technicians are well compensated
Aspiring auto techs can complete training at a vocational-technical (vo-tech) school in as little as two years and enter a field with many immediate job openings and good compensation. For example, a survey by WrenchWay, an automotive career site, puts the median salary for an auto tech at $90,159.
Further, many organizations from across the industry are donating generously to scholarships aimed at addressing this talent challenge. While many traditional college graduates are laden with immense student debt and then struggle to find an entry-level job, auto technicians often graduate with little-to-no debt and embark on a rewarding career.
Many career prospects for auto techs
The automotive aftermarket is burgeoning with opportunity. It’s comprised of an intricate supply chain of manufacturers, suppliers, warehouses, distributors, retailers and repair shops that account for $435 billion in spending in the U.S. alone. Further, the aftermarket employs 4,905,500 people, or nearly 3% of the overall U.S. workforce.
For an entry-level auto technician, this opens the door to a variety of career paths. Among these are leadership opportunities within the technician ranks, lateral moves into business careers with any of the thousands of U.S.-based businesses in the aftermarket, or even as an entrepreneur who opens up a shop of their own one day.
Auto technicians also have an important – yet underrecognized – role in the supply chain: When it comes down to deciding which replacement parts to use in vehicle repairs, the individual auto technician often wields considerable influence over that decision. They are, in a sense, driving supply and demand trends throughout an enormous market.
“A qualified auto technician can get off a plane almost anywhere in our country and find demand for their expertise,” added Johnson. “Part of the goal here is to drive that point home and get ahead of the shortage by highlighting the interesting career opportunities for auto technicians with the finest security agency in our country.”
