johnnymk

From ArcaMax:

Q: I just had my car fixed (for the same problem) for the third time. When I asked why they had such a hard time fixing it, the shop owner confided that he'd recently lost his top mechanic and that it's almost impossible to find a quality replacement. His frustration with this situation and others was so great he's contemplating closing or selling the shop. Is this an isolated situation or are we all going out on a limb by buying high-tech, difficult-to-fix cars?

Larry Peters, Morgan Hill

A: There is indeed a huge shortage of skilled automotive technicians. A recent study reported a shortfall of 35,000 technicians every year through 2010. With a modern vehicle carrying more computing power than an Apollo spacecraft and very complex mechanisms, extensive training and experience are essential to ensure a good fix.

Why the shortage of technicians? There's a saying in the industry that sums it up well: Eggheads don't like to fix cars and gearheads don't like math. In addition, technician training is available, but not often enough utilized. It costs around $1,000 a day for a shop to send a tech to school (including lost wages and productivity), and two to three weeks per year (wishful thinking) are needed to keep up with the rapidly changing technology. Unless technicians are willing to obtain upgrade training on their own time, they'll certainly fall behind.

Until the industry finds a way to attract sharp new people and aptly reward technicians for their skills and training, the shortage will surely continue.

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Merlin

At least there is one area of skilled labor that can't go overseas.

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Jeffbx

Yeah, I've actually heard this is a great area to get into, since these days it's based more on technology than mechanics. The older mechanics who've been in the field for a long time aren't keeping up with the technical advances, so they're hoping to get the more technically inclined kids into the field.

I can see this becomming a highly paid skill if you're good at it.

attgig

i should quit my job and become a mechanic.

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attgig

on a dodge? that difficult?!?!
what the.
my jeep is really easy. of course I'm short that I have to climb on top of the car to reach it...but still real easy to get to. =)

mechmike0034

It is an industry that eats its young....

Lucrative? in the right situation, sometimes, but bear in mind that a good tech must purchase his own tools. The 149 pc Craftsman set on sale at Sears is the merest tip of the iceberg.

It is still hot, cold, dirty, physically demanding work at times.

Manufacturers continue to cut flat rate times to the bone in the interest of supposed "cost savings". Employment in a dealership service department means dealing with mucho back-stabbing and politicking in many cases...

I walked away ten years ago. I'm still involved with the industry, and I still keep current on automotive technology, but I don't fix cars for a living any more.

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mechmike0034

ASE certs are like MCSE. Passing a series of tests doesn't necessarily make you real-world skilled. The paper's nice, but that broken car could give a damn how much paper you've got hanging on the wall. I know some very talented ASE Master techs, and also some who I wouldn't let work on my lawn mower.

I let my Master HD Truck certs expire a while back. Heaviest job I ever did on anything over a one-ton truck was replacing the clutch in a school bus. I still passed all of the cert tests, though.

I currently hold ASE Master Auto Certification (all eight tested areas), L1 Advanced Engine Performance Certification, Paint and Body Certification in Mechanical and Electronic Components, and Automotive Parts Specialist Certification. All of those certs and $1.25 will get me a large coffee at the local 7-11...

Diagnostic equipment doesn't diagnose nor fix cars by itself, either. proper testing has to be done, and diagnostic results have to be interpreted.


This says it all in a nutshell... Like i stated in another reply, the automotive service industry eats its young...

One more thought...

In most US States, a person must be take a licencing examination and be board-certified before they can cut hair, yet any moron with a few tools and the cash to buy a business license can work on automotive brake systems.

I have yet to know of a bad haircut that killed anyone...

johnnymk

I could be wrong, but as time goes on, things will have to improve.

There are very few young guys in America who want to get their hands dirty, even fewer who want to learn about how a car or truck works. Expecting foreigners to learn auto mechanics over night to replace this side of the work force is wishful thinking.

Plus vehicles are getting pricier every year. You don't replace a 15-20 thousand dollar car every time it needs a repair which costs $300.

And they are getting more complex. Even with diagnostic equipment spitting out a bunch of codes or solutions, it takes experience to figure which item to repair or replace.

At our local tech school, I took an auto body course many many years ago. Last year I discovered that it was discontinued over 10 years ago. The guy at the desk said that it was dropped because of lack of interest.

Look at the number of auto parts places which have gone out of business. This is an indication that very few people work on their own vehicles either because they don't want to or that the vehicles are too complex.

It is definitely crappy frustrating work but somebody has to do it. And I believe in the very near future it will pay well.