ATLANTA and SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA –With a growing industry shortage of qualified auto technicians, Manheim is partnering with the TechForce Foundation on its FutureTech Success® campaign. The campaign is designed to attract students to become auto technicians and create a pipeline of talent within the industry for auto technicians. As an early supporter of this effort, Manheim has made a $50,000 annual commitment, and Manheim’s Vice President of Reconditioning, Angie Babin, will serve on the TechForce Foundation board.
“Sadly, auto shop classes are disappearing, and parents and students are not receiving information about the viability of technical work-related jobs,” said Babin. “The pipeline for auto technicians needs to be rebuilt, and by partnering with TechForce, we are proactively providing potential technicians with information and inspiration to pursue a lucrative and rewarding career.”
Career Perception vs. Reality
The current perception is that being a technician or pursuing a technical career in the auto industry is not desirable due to outdated understandings about the earning potential and career path. However, with new technologies being used, today’s technicians are more technologically-driven and work with their minds as much as their hands. Manheim and TechForce are working together to educate parents and middle school and high school students about the new era of the auto technician to change attitudes.
“Many parents today believe that the auto technicians job is a dead-end job requiring very little skill, and that’s just not the case. Today’s auto technicians use technology for their jobs and can have bright careers that progress from auto shops through management and even higher throughout the automotive industry. We’re excited to work together with Manheim to help fill the gap in the technician pipeline,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO and executive director of TechForce Foundation.
Investing in Talent
The technician pipeline is particularly important to Manheim, as it continues to expand its Retail Reconditioning solution for clients. Backed by a recent $17 million investment, Retail Reconditioning requires a range of technicians, including ASE certified mechanics, to deliver retail-ready inventory for dealers and help them fulfill retail demand faster, increase efficiency and save time. Manheim offers technicians a range of benefits, including paying for their ASE certification and tuition reimbursement for continuing education.
Manheim and TechForce will work together in improving the image of the auto technician, communicating to parents of middle school and high school students, and working and communicating with students about the benefits of a career as an auto technician. They will also look to provide mentorships and apprentice programs. Professional technicians will also be available to students to discuss their journeys and careers as auto technicians.
About TechForce Foundation
TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. The Foundation distributes more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors, and is spearheading FutureTech Success®, the industry-wide initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For more information, visit www.techforcefoundation.org.
About Manheim (www.manheim.com)
Manheim® is North America’s leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations. Through its extensive physical, mobile and digital salesnetwork, the company offers diverse solutions for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With morechannels and smarter tools, Manheim Marketplace offers the most comprehensive end-to-end solutions and services, enabling wholesale vehicle buyers and sellers faster and more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. In addition, Manheim provides industry-leading data and tools to improve client efficiencies and decision-making, while delivering a value-added customer experience. Approximately 18,000 team members enable Manheim to offer 8 million used vehicles per year, facilitate transactions representing nearly $58 billion in value and generate annual revenues of more than $3 billion. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.
About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling and owning cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across 100+ countries and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com