Fewer students completed automotive post-secondary education programs in 2021, thus widening the gap of technicians needed to work in tire dealerships and automotive service businesses across the U.S.
The latest report from the TechForce Foundation confirms what tire dealers and others in the automotive industry know too well — the demand for and shortage of technicians has gotten significantly worse in the last year. In fact, it nearly doubled.
One day, Rob Slagle is pitching the automotive trade to kindergarten students during a school job fair. A few months later, his tire dealership is the first in the country to partner in a program that assigns post-secondary students to workplaces for hands-on training.