The technician shortage has hit auto repair shops in Wisconsin, but local tech schools are working hard to fill the gap, reports Wisconsin Public Radio.
TechForce's 2023 Tech Supply and Demand Report shows that techs have been on the decline since 2012, with the number of students completing automotive postsecondary programs dropping by 21% between 2012 and 2021. In addition, more than 100,000 technicians will need to enter the workforce by 2025 to keep pace with consumer demand.
But there are many barriers standing in the way for entry-level technicians. For one thing, as vehicles become more complex, kids aren’t working on them at home with their parents as much, who need increasingly expensive tools to even perform many tasks.
“(Car maintenance is) a lot more complicated than it used to be, so now the parent doesn’t quite understand it,” explained Tyson Larson, an automotive technician instructor at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore. “You need special tools to be able to diagnose this stuff now. Since the parent doesn’t have the information, they can’t share that with the student.”
The price of these tools will continue to be a problem for prospective technicians, as they often end up needing to pay thousands out of pocket just for the tools they need, on top of education and training.
Rising costs pose a problem for shops seeking new talent, too. For now, J & S Auto Care in Janesville has decided to focus on its existing team, with manager Nick Robinson adding that bringing on new employees would require him to raise rates for his customers.
That, combined with the fees the shop has to pay to access data in newer vehicles, it isn’t surprising when the consumer price index shows a near 20% increase in repair costs between 2023 and 2024.
“Chrysler vehicles 2018 and newer, they basically have us locked out of them,” said Robinson. “We can pay to get on certain subscriptions and be able to log in and see data, but for just the average guy, they have you locked out of it.”
He’s also seen techs come through that lack adequate training, such as not knowing how to diagnose a vehicle beyond using a scan tool. But training technicians has become an increasing difficulty, as the cost of equipment needed has led to many high schools doing away with auto programs altogether.
Southwest Tech is working to combat this with its apprenticeship program, Pistons to Pathways, which allows high schoolers to earn college credit while interning at real auto shops, saving costs for the student, shop, and high school.
“I think that the industry needs to understand that if we’re not paying these students, we’re going to lose that high quality talent to other industries and other jobs,” told Larson. “The key is that we need to be proactive and not reactive.”
