Lincoln Tech named Manheim Denver Collision Program Employer of the Year for 2015 for its initiative to give undergraduate and graduate students real world exposure to the automotive industry. The award was presented during the school’s Stars & Bars student award ceremony on Feb. 1.
With a shortage of skilled auto technicians in the area, and Manheim Denver’s increased needs for skilled personnel to support its expansion plans, Manheim developed a career development program with Lincoln College of Technology in May of 2015.
“There remains a scarcity of skilled technicians in the area since the recession, when many migrated to support what was a booming oil business to North Dakota,” said Tim Van Dam, general manager, Manheim Denver. “We were excited to partner with the excellent program at Lincoln College of Technology to help prepare these students for the future opportunities in a changing industry with real life application.”
As part of the program, students were invited for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Manheim operation, located in Aurora. The students gained a hands-on experience of intake, the body shop, mechanics and detail facilities as well as observing an auction in action. In addition, several members of the Manheim team presented to students over the course of the year, reviewing the benefits of working in the industry. Manheim also hosted a hiring event to bring on students as part-time drivers during sales and further expose them to the business behind the scenes.
“We have hired close to 30 students as part-time team members. Out of those students we have hired two as full-time body shop team members and one student as a full-time technician,” said Marla Jones-Newman, manager, HR.
“We hope to build a pipeline of talented techs for our shops and vehicle entry, as well as more part-time student employees who are motivated to be part of the Manheim team after graduation,” Jones-Newman continued.
About Manheim (www.manheim.com)
Manheim is North America’s leading provider of vehicle remarketing services, connecting buyers and sellers of used vehicles to the largest wholesale used-vehicle marketplace. The company helps drive dealer and commercial client success by providing physical, digital and mobile auction channels, data analysis, dealer financing through NextGear Capital, Inc., transportation services through Ready Auto Transport and a host of other products and solutions. With 80 locations across North America, Manheim registers nearly seven million used vehicles annually and facilitates transactions representing nearly $51 billion in value. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim N.A. is owned by Cox Automotive which includes industry leaders such as Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com®), Autotrader and Dealertrack®. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.
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