New car dealers in California are launching an apprenticeship program to recruit and train workers who want to become automotive service technicians, according to a July 10 announcement.
In a partnership between the California New Car Dealers Association Foundation and Automotive Apprenticeship Group, aspiring technicians can receive paid on-the-job training with no tuition fees. In turn, dealerships can address the statewide shortage of 5,000 technicians.
“Dealers throughout the state have service bays that are unused because of the tech shortage,” K.C. Heidler, the foundation chair, said in a news release. “It puts a strain on their businesses. And customers find it difficult to schedule repair and maintenance visits. The apprenticeship program is a strategic, long-term solution to this challenge.”
The talent shortage extends nationwide, with nearly 400,000 job openings available. Across the industry, dealerships have reported shortages due to an aging workforce with retiring technicians — and a lack of young people entering the field, the foundation said.
The apprenticeship program is open to anyone with an interest in the field but has been mostly of interest to those aged 18-30, especially among workers who may not have the option or preference for a traditional college degree, according to the announcement.
The two-year apprenticeship program offers a competitive wage with no out-of-pocket expenses, with skill-building focused on on-the-job training at local dealerships, discovery-based e-learning and hands-on technical training and practice. After program completion, apprentices earn a national certification from the U.S. Department of Labor.
For participating dealerships, the Automotive Apprenticeship Group manages apprentice recruitment, orientation, pre-apprenticeship training, payroll and compensation, insurance, mentorship and ongoing career coaching. Each apprentice receives guidance and mentorship from a dedicated career manager.
The apprenticeship program is beginning to spread across California, and several apprentices have already enrolled in the program and are paired with dealerships, according to the announcement.
As skilled trades careers gain a renewed focus, apprenticeship programs are growing in prevalence. Federal and state programs have prioritized apprenticeships as a way to fill talent gaps and provide “earn-while-you-learn” opportunities to job seekers.
In an April executive order, President Donald Trump directed the secretaries of Labor, Education and Commerce to submit a plan to “reach and surpass 1 million new active apprentices.” The order also called on the departments to improve transparency around the performance outcomes of workforce development programs.
Registered apprenticeships can help workers access living wages, according to a white paper by labor and employment experts in Illinois. Apprenticeships in joint labor-management programs, in particular, had higher completion rates and offered greater upward economic mobility to workers, the researchers found.