The desire to pursue a technical career is the most commonly cited reason students register for automotive, diesel/heavy truck and collision repair and refinishing courses.
But it’s not the only reason. There’s a lot that drives young people into shop classrooms.
Better understanding how students arrive in technical classes, and how they perceive their experiences, may enable trucking to better connect with these students while they’re still in school and shepherd them into the industry’s workforce.
With trucking turning over tens of thousands of technician positions annually, connecting with young students is the most cost-effective and sustainable path to combating the industry’s workforce losses.
“One of the biggest challenges facing employers in many industries is finding qualified entry-level technical candidates. For this and many other reasons, the relationships between education and industry are critical to attracting and keeping the talent we all need,” says George Arrants, vice president of the ASE Education Foundation.
“I can’t stress enough how important our industry partners are to the success of the ASE Education Foundation and the value they bring in helping upcoming generations of students understand the many opportunities available in choosing a STEM career path. This partnership enables automotive, truck and collision employers to speak to students about career opportunities directly and form relationships that translate into a well-qualified and motivated workforce.”
That latter point is essential because, as the 2024 and 2025 ASE Education Foundation’s Student Surveys show, there are many dynamics delivering young people into tech classes.
When asked “Which statement BEST describes your reason for enrolling in your current auto, truck/diesel or collision repair/ refinishing class?” the largest segment of high school-aged responders to ASE’s 2024 and 2025 surveys stated they were interested in an automotive, truck/diesel or collision repair/refinishing career. But at 42% of responders each year, that segment wasn’t a majority and was barely a plurality. Nearly as many (38% in 2024, 37% in 2025) simply wanted to learn how to work on their own vehicle.
Motivations among the final 20% of high school responders each year ran the gamut; nearly 8% stated they “heard good things about the class or instructor;” 4% said they had a friend or relative in the career; and about 3% each either said they had a friend in the class or needed to fill their schedule.
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ASE says 1 in 5 high school students entering career and technical education classes without an established interest in vehicle repair and nearly 60% without career aspirations should sound alarm bells for everyone involved.
High school and post-secondary CTE programs exist to develop qualified entry-level workers. But if students registering for those classes aren’t doing so with their futures in mind, it becomes the responsibility of educators and industry alike to develop curriculum that turns passive curiosity into professional interest.
And this doesn’t just mean a focus on new technology or increased investment into hands-on education. Another fact the 2024 and 2025 ASE Education Foundation Student Surveys make clear is students’ instructive desires exceed their opportunities.
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Nearly 90% of high school responders were taking an automotive class when they completed ASE’s 2024 survey but only 61% actually rated automotive education as their top CTE curriculum choice. In 2025 those numbers were even more illuminating, with 93% of students in an auto program but only 43% committed to the field, with nearly as many interested in another area (23% in truck/diesel, 12% in collision repair and 5% in welding).
Students even referenced those educational limitations in the surveys.
“I would like to improve the section on diesels in the auto side of things,” one responder said in 2024 when asked about their program they would improve.
Post-secondary responders shared similar frustration regarding program access. More than 70% of those 2024 and 2025 survey responders stated they did not take an automotive, truck/diesel or collision repair/ refinishing courses in high school — mostly because they were not available (74% of 2024 responders; 78% in 2025).
Among those who had access but didn’t partake, between 63% and 68% responders each year said they were not interested in the curriculum at the time or were unable to partake due to scheduling conflicts.
This data further illuminates the challenge educators and industry have in connecting with young people, getting them into the right program to meet their interests and drive them toward a technical career.
“Instructors also have a role to play in helping their students better understand the potential of an automotive career,” Arrants says. “When an instructor shows enthusiasm for our industry and explains the choices and opportunities available, the excitement builds in their students and reinforces their decision to pursue a STEM career.”
