Pub. 3 Issue 1

26 www.glancda.org Dealerships Need More Young Technicians D ealership car repair shops are usually profitable. In fact, at some dealerships they are more prof- itable than the sales department. A good repair shop at a car dealership also matters because excellent service can persuade a customer to come back again later, not just for service but also maybe for another car from the same dealership. To make that happy cycle of profitability continue into the indefinite future, dealerships need one important resource: a ready supply of young technicians. But that is where the situa- tion becomes a little trickier. Young, qualified technicians are scarce and may need different handling than technicians from previous generations. Sometime during 2015, millennials will become the largest part of the workforce. However, hiring managers say it is hard to find them when a job needs to be filled, and it is also hard to keep them. They expect to move on to something new in three years or less. They tend to be creative, open to change, adaptable, and entrepreneurial … but they can also be narcis- sistic and they often have no clue about how to be a good team player. Many young people are directing their educational efforts toward science, math, and a college degree. That is largely thanks to the efforts of the educational system and their parents. In particular, No Child Left Behind emphasizes core subjects, not vocational subjects such as machining, shop, or