Just this week, NationaLease announced a partnership with Universal Technical Institute (UTI) to help fill its service network with graduates from the technical school.
NationaLease forecasts’ its 600 service locations nationwide could lose up to a third of its technicians to retirement in the coming years. With that shortage looming, the company says the partnership with UTI will help encourage members to fill open positions with UTI graduates and minimize the negative effects of its impending retirement boom.
For the service providers out there, large or small, coming up with a similar strategy would be a good idea. We all know this industry is facing a technician shortage, and very soon it’s going to evolve from a looming problem to an active problem.
And while I’ve made this argument before I think it bears repeating. Finding technicians to fill your soon to be open positions isn’t going to be as easy as it was when your veteran techs were hired 30 years ago. The average high school and college graduate isn’t a gearhead anymore.
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Most kids these days don’t tinker with their cars and trucks, they tinker with their Facebook page.
Putting a sign up in the window isn’t going to draw many in.
Partnering with a technical school, or just reaching out and creating a relationship, will at least give you an opportunity to meet the few kids who are interested.
The shortage is coming. It’s going to happen. The more you do now, the better prepared you’ll be when it hits your service department.
