01/06/2025

The Future Shop Owner Shortage

Source: Brake & Front End

When I get a chance to talk to students in automotive programs, I always ask one question: “Do you want to own a shop someday?” For the past 20 years, about 60% say they plan to own their own shop someday. Seeing the hands go up can be uplifting. But, looking at the start of a technician’s career and where they eventually want to be leaves out the middle part of a career as a technician. 

We habitually look at the technician shortage as a short-term problem of attracting new technicians. There have been scholarships, marketing campaigns and studies. The good news is that many of these efforts are paying off. According to TechForce Foundation’s Technician Supply & Demand Report for 2023, the automotive sector saw nearly 5,000 additional students graduate in 2022 over the previous year, a 17% increase. While 5,000 additional technicians sounds like a lot, we are still trying to dig our way out of a more than 600,000 technician hole over the next five years.

In my opinion, the long-term problem is retention. What happens if we lose an experienced technician? The loss is immediate and more profound than if we fail to attract a new technician. 

By the time a technician has spent three years in the industry, they have gained invaluable experience and valuable tools. When they leave for a desk job or other trades, those investments and experiences are lost. 

What is the solution?

Since we have solved the “new” technician shortage, the same effort and resources should be applied to the technician retention problem.

The first step would be to find out what technicians want. Money is important, but many want stability and longevity. Some human resource professionals would call this a “career path.” At some shops, the career path starts behind a broom and tops out when the employee reaches the rank of technician. But it is a different world. 

With students investing more than $30,000 for a degree in automotive technology, the career path must be better defined if you intend to keep a technician.

The other tool that can increase technician retention is training. Some shop owners might be scared by the cost of classes or the travel. But training is an investment with the payoff of more productivity. Also, it is a big ego boost for the technician and pays off in loyalty.

The other part is ergonomics. Being a technician is a physically demanding job. By the time a technician reaches 40, some are looking for a way out due to an injured back or knee. Tools like wheel lifts and rolling stools can add years to a technician’s career and prevent injuries when a technician is in their 20s or 30s. 

Evangelists 

The best recruiting tool we have are current technicians in the field. Some examples of how choosing to be a technician can change a young person’s life. But, if a technician is not positive, it can make some students rethink their career choices. We need them as advocates. 

The other reason we need to solve the technician shortage is that it might become a shop owner shortage over the next decade. This would impact consumers because it would remove competition and capacity.