There has been a lot of talk about the automotive technician shortage. If you don’t work in a trade, you may not be aware of how few students currently enter a trade field. The push for a college degree is important but not all high school students need to pursue a degree to achieve their goals. If your son or daughter likes to disassemble items to see how they work, hopefully they'll have the opportunity to use that skill in their job if that's what they enjoy.
Being a naturally technical person is a gift. One I don't have but I watch it in action day-after- day. Most of the trades require post high school education. There are very few jobs you can walk into without some type of training in this day and age. We were fortunate to be asked to have a student from a local high school job shadow with us for part of a day. It's a great opportunity for all of us to share what we love about this business as well as give someone the opportunity to see what ‘a day in the life of a technician’ really looks like.
He had the opportunity to spend time with each technician, ask questions and see them working on vehicles. We talked about the various educational opportunities and the pros and cons of each. He will be a terrific technician someday and we’re excited that he’s looking forward to using his gifts and abilities in the automotive field. He loves cars and has spent time with his Dad working on the family vehicles. Not everyone has the chance to be introduced to this type of work as most people don't work on their own cars anymore.
Marrying a car guy has shown me that if you do what you love, pursue your dream and hone the skills you're naturally more adept at, you'll be happier and enjoy what you do everyday. I'm thankful for high schools that are supplying students with an opportunity to follow their passions by making information available to help them decide on their future. As a team, we are all appreciative of the chance to share our experiences in and passion for, the automotive industry!