THA 087: Automotive Career’s Starts in High School and in the Home!
An Automotive Career Starts in High School and in the Home!l
We, as a collective aftermarket, need to stop talking about the need for quality automotive training and the technician shortage and get involved. It will be our fault for the lack of young people joining our industry.
The schools are there for industry. Superintendents and presidents need to hear from industry. A good advisory board will make a huge difference in the quality of instruction, investment from the school and placement of students.
The panel includes James Halderman, ASE Master Technician, and author of 18 Automotive Textbooks and James Pressly, Trade and Industrial Specialist, Career and Technical Education with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Shane Hawkins, East Gaston High School in Mount Holly, NC and adjunct instructor for Gaston College. Also an impromptu visit from Kyle Holt of S/P2.
Listen and view episode notesRR 366: Defend Our Marketplace – Keeping Up With Connected Cars
Defend Our Marketplace – Keeping Up With Connected Cars
Our ASCCA Connected Cars Panel; Carolyn Coquillette of Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA, Dave Kusa of Autotrend Diagnostic, San Francisco, CA, and Niko Sougias of Charlie’s Foreign Car Service, Encinitas CA help us better understand the impact of the connected car.
The Panel discusses how the committee defends our ability to do business in the automotive aftermarket, current outlook on Connected trends, and Why is ASCCA focused on Connected Cars.
Learning and understanding this episode grants us the wisdom to either adapt or become obsolete. Continuous learning and being prepared for autonomous cars are one of the few things we need to do as we look to stay ahead of the curve.
Listen and view episode notesRR 364: ASCCA Automotive Degree Program. First of Its Kind to Channel Students to Independents.
ASCCA Degree Program. First of Its Kind to Channel Students to Independents.
The ASCCA Degree Program at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, CA was forged by a small group of independent shop owners and a dedicated educator. Kicked off by Dara Bakhshandeh of CD Auto Care, in La Mesa, CA with support from John Epstein of John’s Automotive Care, San Diego, and Brad McCombs, instructor, Cuyamaca Community College.
The program was started to find qualified technicians and ASCCA (Automotive Service Councils of California) will be involved through their membership. One of their goals is to grow the program from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree which can appeal to a student who dream of owning own business one day and want to work and learn from shopowner.
This program could be developed in other states but will need an association like ASCCA to oversee it. ASCCA also offers out-of-state memberships.
THA 084: Buying Technician Tools: Create Your Program!
Buying Technician Tools: Create Your Program
We are talking ‘Buying Technicians Tools; The How’ and with me is Keith Williamson, owner of Williamson’s Repair and Tire in Bondurant, IA, Andy Bizub Shop Owner of Porsche Specialist Midwest Performance Cars LLC, and Seth Thorson, Shop Owner, Eurotech, New Brighton, MN, a Euro Specialist and owner of the BMW tech support company LMV Bavarian.
Among the discussion; Is making employees supply tools an outdated tradition? Is buying technicians tools a recruiting and retention tool for your business?
The team says owners don’t want to see their techs in debt and you’ll hear ideas and solutions to create your own program to transition into supporting tools as a benefit and retention tool.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 083: What Separates the Outstanding Technicians
What Separates the Outstanding Technician
Outstanding shops attract outstanding technicians. Outstanding technicians want to work for outstanding shops.
Listen in on a great dialogue that covers qualities and attributes like Passion, Precision, Pride, Perseverance, and Humility. This episode is not about being an A, B or C tech it is about all other traits that make for an outstanding technician. The discussion relates to just about any other job in a professional service center today.
With Carm Capriotto for this Academy is Matt Fanslow, Shop Manager, Diagnostician, and Trainer, at Riverside Automotive, Red Wing, MN, Wayne ‘Jerry’ Bishop, PTS Instructor, Standard Motor Products and Kevin Eckler, Shop Owner, Foreign Car Specialists, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Listen and view episode notesRR 358: John Gustafson – ATC: Synchronizing the Automotive Trades
ATC: Synchronizing the Automotive Trades
John Gustafson is the president of Gustafson Brothers Automotive Repair, Huntington Beach, CA and the founder of the Auto Talent Co-Op (ATC). ATC is an independent non-profit organization whose vision is to effectively unite resources within the automotive industry, and establish clear career path standards for its users.
ATC’s Mission is to build a synchronized and accessible platform, able to unite the automotive industry. To help refill the talent pool for all automotive job-related positions. To fulfill the technician shortage, and improve technician retention and to streamline career paths, bridge technician skills gap and improve recruitment.
Your support is needed. Find links on the show notes page.
Listen and view episode notesFTR 007: Matt Fanslow – Integrate the Malleable Young Apprentice Into Your Shop
Matt Fanslow Worries That Young Technician Apprentices Will Leave the Industry Without a Series Mentor Program and Career Path.
Listen and view episode notesRR 353: Kyle Holt from S/P2 – Helping Entry-Level Technicians Enter and Stay in the Industry
Kyle Holt. Helping Entry-level Technicians Enter And Stay In Industry.
Kyle Holt is the Co-Founder and President of S/P2. S/P2 serves businesses and career tech schools in the automotive service, collision repair, heavy-duty/diesel, welding, among others.
They are not just building careers, they are nurturing! Offering an innovative mentor training program which has its own Mobile website in which Mentors can log in, comment and grade a student based on the ASE task list. This would be good at retaining students within the industry.
Kyle is very passionate about providing businesses and schools the ability to utilize the technology that they have created to help improve the lives of the people they serve.
Listen and view episode notesRR 351: Paul Danner – Educator, Diagnostician and You-tuber ‘ScannerDanner’
Paul Danner. Educator, Diagnostician and Youtuber ‘ScannerDanner’
Paul Danner is an ASE L1 Certified Master Technician with Twenty-Four years of field experience in electronics, electrical and drivability diagnostics. For eighteen years he has been employed as an instructor at Rosedale Technical College where he has taught Engine Performance Diagnostics and Basic Electrical Systems. Eleven years ago, he opened his own mobile diagnostic business which performs electrical and electronic diagnostic services for over Twenty Garages in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.
He fell into mobile diagnostics and case studies by stopping in and helping his friends on the way home from work. He called it diaper money to help pay the bills. He is thankful that God has graced him with the ability to troubleshoot.
He is wired for variables and loves ‘What Ifs’. Paul stresses that your learning curve comes from the ‘good parts’ drawer and from the mistakes you make. You have to be in a shop that gives you a steady diet of diagnostic work to become good at diagnostics.
He teaches his student’s field diagnostics and has written a field manual about it and his youtube channel is a very popular place to learn.
Listen and view episode notesRR 349: Tracy Martin – Our Vehicles are Becoming Smartphones on Wheels
Smartphone on Wheels.
Tracy Martin has authored six Motorbooks Workshop Series and writes articles for industry and trade magazines. His articles of late are focused on the connected car.
Our cars today are becoming if not already became smartphone on wheels. If this is the case, then all threats that are threatening our computers at home and our mobile device could potentially harm our cars as well. There are instances of factory system hacking and car software hacking that heightens our concern.
We talk cybersecurity concerns, the evolution of techs needed to fix the vehicles of the not too distant future and a better encryption protocol. Tracy says that you must be aware of the risks that can and will be present as the future unfolds.
Listen and view episode notesRR 344: Technician Roundtable – Brin Kline, Tanner Brandt, Pedro De La Torre
Technician or Diagnostician, What’s the difference?
Technician Roundtable episode with Brin Kline, Tanner Brandt, and Pedro De La Torre share their passion for their craft and talk scheduling and selling diagnostics. We get into apprenticeship/mentorship to younger techs, and what training and education are necessary to be top diagnostic tech. This episode will benefit technicians and diagnosticians in a lot of ways.
They share their views on constant improvements that build the strength of a team and creates satisfied customers. Areas like IT, Quality Control, Business Education and top training for techs. This episode tackles the differences between techs and how to improve their skill through training. It is important to show a pathway of continuing education for the industries young techs to emulate and follow. The industry will benefit in the long run.
Listen to a diagnostician’s point of view only here at your premiere aftermarket podcast.
Listen and view episode notesRR 338: Technician Round Table – Part 5 – Heipp – Landry – Fanslow
A Wide-Open Discussion from Three Aftermarket Technicians on Mentoring, Fundamentals Training and Mentoring Under a Master Technician
This technician roundtable brings back Matt Fanslow, Bob Heipp, and Peter Landry in our fifth roundtable interview. It is freewheeling, smart and evident that these three are very passionate about their career and industry.
We discussed technician pay and the need for shop owners to improve their profits, so the industry can pay better. We talked about technicians that take their education and skill set seriously and are constantly pushing to expand on them. They also tossed around the answer to this question: ‘What is a True Master Technician?’ We also talked fundamentals, and specialization and a whole lot more.
Agree or disagree with these three diagnosticians they’ve got opinions. You be the judge.
Listen and view episode notesRR 335: Build Your Own Apprentice Program – Secretary Kelly Schulz & Dwayne Myers
The Technician Shortage: Build Your Workforce With Your Own Apprentice Program
This episode provides a solution to growing our own technicians. Dwayne Myers from multi-location Dynamic Automotive in Fredrick, MD shares his apprentice program. Also, the Secretary of Labor from the great state of Maryland, Kelly Schulz, explains how the state was instrumental in Dynamic’s apprentice program and how she is using the influence of Maryland’s Labor department to embrace college training and apprentice programs for skilled trades. You’ll be glad you listened because there are real solutions here that will help you grow your own talent.
This episode is going to demonstrate how Dwayne Myers worked with and partnered with his state’s Department of Labor and Secretary Kelly Schulz. Secretary Schulz explains the program and the positive outcomes it has been producing. Dwayne explains how he embraced the state’s programs and integrated it into his training culture.
Follow Dwayne’s passion for growing technicians through an apprentice program and consider using your state’s labor department to support your program. Growing your own talent will be the norm. Use this episode as your launch pad and start.
Listen and view episode notesRR 330: Dave Macholz – Academic Chair of Suffolk County College Automotive Technology
How Do We Educate and Integrate Our Young People into a Career as Automotive Technicians?
My guest is Dave Macholz, the Academic Chair at the automotive technology program at Suffolk County Community College on Long Island, NY. The automotive program has been active for over 30 years. Dave has an independent aftermarket history and is very transparent about the current and future value of training our future technicians.
We cover a large breadth of topics including funding, graduation rates, mentoring, improving enrollment, internships and capital spending to keep our colleges current with new technology. Stuff you need to know and get involved with.
You will benefit from this discussion. The more you know about the grassroots issues we face the better you be able to help solve them. With your help, the future is bright.
Listen and view episode notesRR 314: Educator Think Tank – Vision 2018
You Cannot Ignore Your Role in The Automotive Technology Education System.
Go inside the Vision 2018 Studio with the Educators Think Tank. Join Rick Escalambre, Retired Instructor Skyline College, and educator of the year 2017, Scott Brown from Diagnostic Network, Matthew Shanahan Assistant Professor, Automotive Technology, College of DuPage and Tim Dwyer, from Consul Labs.
This is a great slice of what automotive education is today. A very open and transparent discussion that will help you understand the education process and gain knowledge of how to get involved. Also, learn about the challenges that post-secondary automotive technology programs have and how you can and must get involved.
A few key talking points: Automotive technology programs at all levels is expensive, independents must attend career fairs and speak to classes at all levels including middle school and Industry and education needs to come together stronger than ever. The industry has a depth of talent that can help the education system.
Listen and view episode notesRR 312: NASTF – The Road To Great Technicians
The Road to Great Technicians
We talk so much about solutions to the technician shortage. Here is an episode that will get you to realize that there is so much more than filling the seats in trade schools. It is about what happens when we hire a new tech. The trend is to grow our own technician, but can we outline a career path for our new recruit? You need to be involved in creating a ‘Road to Great Technicians.
Joining me in studio at Vision 2018 is Donny Seyfer Executive Officer of NASTF, Chris Chesney, Sr. Director of Customer Training at Car Quest Technical Institute and Jill Saunders, Curriculum Developer at Toyota Motor Sales, North America.
This straight up discussion on creating a career path for all entry-level technicians through an apprentice and mentoring program outlines WHY this is so important. Do we want the government someday to create a program of standards and competence or should we as an industry start today to build those standards?
Just putting an entry-level tech in the lube bay without a career path is part of the big challenges we have as an industry. Without a defined career path it becomes a brain drain of young talent.
THA 058: How to Become the Employer of Choice
How to Become the Employer of Choice.
Join Ryan Clo from Dubwerx in Cincinnati, Dwayne Myers from Dynamic Automotive in Frederick, MD and the Director of Training at RLO, Barry Barrett.
You have an opportunity to listen to three of your aftermarket colleagues who will share their perspective on becoming the employer of choice. We opened up some great thinking pathways to help you create and improve your position in the marketplace when it come to attacking and keeping great talent.
We talk the extreme importance of creating and having a great business culture, career ladders, putting your people front and center in your business, pay, reputation and so much more.
Listen and view episode notesRR 309: The Shop of the Future – Are You Prepared? Vision 2018 Town Hall
The Shop of the Future: Are You Prepared?
Have you thought about how you will do business in the future? Well the mission of this panel was to stretch the boundaries and serve up plenty of thoughts, concepts and changes coming that you need to be fundamentally be prepared for.
So happy to be able to present this audio recording from Vision 2018. With me are shop owners, Summer Gurerro from Affinity Automotive Services, Inc in Wichita, KS, Keith Williamson owner of Williamson’s Repair and Tire in Bondurant, IA, Trainer and Mobile Technician Eric Ziegler form EZ Diagnostics, Chris Chesney the Senior Director, Customer Training at the Carquest Technical Institute and Donny Seyfer the Executive Officer of NASTF, the National Automotive Service Task Force and co-owner of Seyfer Automotive in Wheatridge, CO.
Many great thoughts that will help shape your future. There are many important action steps discussed that need your support and engagement. Listen carefully for those cues.
Listen and view episode notesRR 307: Chris Cloutier – Entrepreneurial Lessons from a Serial Entrepreneur
Accept the Struggle and Find a Way to Continually Improve your Entrepreneurial Journey.
Chris Cloutier and I had a great conversation, passionate at times, on entrepreneurialism. Chris is a serial entrepreneur and has some wise words and experience at it. We talk bootstrapping, cash is king, the struggle, trusting your gut, leadership and even salesmanship. Don’t shy away from these topics – the discussion just may set you off on a better course. Chris has the scars, like all of us, which are the lessons we all learn as we march toward an improving and brighter future.
This interview is going to cement much of what you know about growing a business, and some of our talk will hit you, I hope, smack in your entrepreneurial soul and get you to understand the journey you are on a little better.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 053: Improve Communication Between the Service Advisor & Technician
Many Problems Are Found in A Lack Of Communications; Therefore Good Communications Can Prevent Come Backs.
Improving Communications Between the Service Adviser and Technician with Jude Larson from Valley Repair in Tenino, WA and also with JML Real Solutions, also Darrin Barney, Owner of Barney Brothers Off Road in Grand Junction, CO and Donnie Carter, Service Manager at Little Wolf Automotive in Waupaca, WI.
Communication is an important tenant in any service business. It is up to the service advisor to bring the ‘novel’ to the technician. Listen hard to the customer and write down the details of their issue or concern.
Technicians results are dependent on getting a good path to follow. Give them a great opportunity to succeed with clear in-depth information. Techs need to do their part and provide clear information back to the service advisor to support the recommendations they are going to provide as a value to the customer.
Listen and view episode notesRR 297: Jay Goninen from Find A Wrench & Find A Mechanic.com
Finding and Recruiting Technician Talent for Your Shop
Jay Goninen from Find a Wrench and Find a Mechanic.com brings his experience as an industry veteran and recruiter to the Remarkable Results tribe. We have a wide-open discussion on recruiting, job descriptions, why people leave and the value of a good work environment.
Among other discussion points that help you keep your people or help your recruiting effort is offering a path for growth, more responsibility, more money, and benefits. Jay feels that your shop needs to have a unique differentiator to attract top talent.
From a technician’s perspective, they usually don’t promote themselves so creating a good resume and posting it on a job board is something he helps techs with.
He says you should always be recruiting. It is like a 5-star football recruit for your college sports program. You will look at every resume and do every interview.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 051: First Moves When Opening a New Shop
Find A Blue Print Outlined For Finding Success If You Are Going To Open An Automotive Aftermarket Service Repair Shop.
There is some secret Sause shared here including a few preferred methods on how to start, setting up your spending plan, how important location is and the need to know the demographics of that local community. Is the income level such that money can be spent on vehicle service and maintenance?
We talk financial, (knowing your numbers) debt, cash flow. All very important parts of a CEO’s responsibility. May great technicians, who are unemployable, strive to start their own business because they want to do things their way. Most find out it is not an easy task. There are responsibilities beyond financial and cash flow like, marketing, the tax man, HR laws and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
This panel does a great job of explaining the challenges you’ll need to deal with, so you can find your successes sooner rather than later. It is a slow process, but success shouldn’t take years to achieve.
Listen and view episode notesRR 292: Technician Round Table – Part 4 – Heipp – Landry – Fanslow – Meyers
Wide Open Discussion from Three Aftermarket Technicians and One Who Left the Industry.
As usual, these guys brought their opinionated selves to the interview, yet spoke from the heart about topics they are passionate about. Some no holds barred discussion points. There are times where there is no sugar coating and that is good to embrace all sides of an issue.
Matt Fanslow, Bob Heipp, Peter Landry and Tom Myers openly discuss some very hot and touchy subjects that affect all aftermarketer’s.
Just a few of the topics we discussed, shops charging for diagnostic time, opinions on social media, a discussion on augmented reality. They discuss that techs need to help the business owner make money, and therefore owners should share in the wealth. We talk about shop owners training their top and best-vested technicians and talk pay and benefits.
Listen and view episode notesRR 287: Bill Haas – Millennials – How to Lead and Engage This Generation
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Hiring and Leading Millennials
Every twenty years or so a new generation of workers arrives. For many of us, we raised today’s Millennials or Generation Y. They are made up of the 22-40-year-old’s who number 79 million in the workforce; the largest segment.
If we are to seed our industry with youth and grow our own, we must look at the Millennial Generation. We must understand how to integrate them and nurture them into our workforce.
Each generation has its quirks. Gen Y is no different. Once you learn what moves and motivates them you’ll find it so much easier to accept and keep millennials motivated in your business culture. The lessons here works for all team members, but you’ll learn what really makes the Millennial tick and why they behave like they do.
Listen and view episode notesRR 282: Jennifer Maher from TechForce – Technician Shortage – Solution Update
Moving Forward With a Solution to the Technician Shortage
Jennifer Maher, CEO and Executive Director of Techforce Foundation in her second interview on the podcast brings you the important updates to the Future Tech Success Campaign.
She outlines how you can help and explains the value of the iHUB repository of information, data and resources you will need to help at the grassroots level.
Discover the outcome of the case study done in the Phoenix school system. Learn how due diligence on our education system will make waves for the future technicians that are in the education system now.
All of us who earn our living in the aftermarket must get involved. Find important links to ‘raise your hand’ to help on the show notes page.
Listen and view episode notes