In 1963 Skip Potter began an eclectic career across many segments of the motor vehicle industry beginning at the gas pumps of a service station in Arlington, VA.

His journey wound through parts distribution, tool sales, the motorsports press, service, and in the industry’s trade associations.

He retired in 2017 after five years as Executive Director of the National Automotive Service Task Force. He was recognized by Babcox Publications in 1999 as an Aftermarket Influencer and received the Education Award from Northwood University that same year.

His syndicated radio broadcast, Virginia Race Line, won six awards from the National Motorsports Press Association. He earned the professional designation as a Certified Association Executive from the American Society of Association Executives and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Mason University.

Talking Points:

• Skip was the first employee of NASTF. Previously it was a total volunteer organization.
• Excited to be rewarded with the NASTF job, moving to Florida, after leaving the security of his CEO position at CABA in Maryland,
• NASTF is an association of associations.
  • Auto Care, ASA, State Associations and all industry associations have a voice along with OE associations.
• NASTF has two constituencies: The OEM’s formed the organization to help implement their requirements and their desire to do business with the independent service provider. Techs and shop owners depend on NASTF to facilitate their access to OEM resources.
• NASTF has identified 40 OEMs that do or could participate in the US marketplace
• NASTF grew up serving the professional technician.
• NASTF Now More Than Ever.
  • One of the most diverse boards in the industry.
    • Solve a problem rather than arguing a position.
  • NASTF service technicians and OE’s that do business in the US.
    • Anyone can join.
• NASTF’s operates the Vehicle Security Professional Registry.
  • For all locksmiths and security technicians in the industry. (LSID: Lock Security ID)
  • NASTF does the background checks and the audits while looking out for the OEM’s security interest.
• Technician shortage
  • OE’s have the same issues.
  • Project assigned to the education committee.
  • Created a project called ‘Building a Road to Great Technicians’
    • AYES ( a mentoring program of ASE) and ASE are in the forefront in the solutions.
    • ATMC is involved
• Industry Fixes needed:
  • Fix Tech education
  • Fix Business Management,
  • Fix how we market to ourselves.
  • Market to the public. Especially, parents, students and educators.
• Retired as NASTF Executive Director, September 2017
• Worked for ASIA, that became AAIA and evolved into the Auto Care Association
• Skip had a syndicated radio broadcast, “Virginia Race Line,” which won six awards from the National Motorsports Press Association during the 1970’s. The Old Dominion Speedway in 2011 named Potter to its list of “Legends” for his work there in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

NASTF Website

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This episode is brought to you by Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com

Dave Milne is Executive Director of Special Test Programs for ASE where he is responsible for the development, maintenance, and assembly of several ASE certification tests, as well as a variety of client specific tests.

Dave also serves as the President of the Automotive Training Managers Council (ATMC), a division of the ASE Industry Education Alliance. The council is a network of training managers from both the OEMs and aftermarket who use their collective wisdom to look into the future of how people will learn and then help each other prepare their training for that future.

A 40-year veteran of the automotive service industry, he has been with ASE 21 years, previously serving as president of Professional Auto Supply, Inc. Dave started his career as an automotive technician in a 4-bay service station.

The episode dives into the data from an ATMC survey completed in the first half of 2017. (see link below)

Talking Points:

• ATMC’s mission is to improve the quality of training through the collaboration of its members.
• Automotive Training Managers Council has been around since 1984, representing automotive and truck
  • 1/3 of members are OE manufacturers
  • 1/3 members are from the aftermarket like Gates, Standard Motor Product and Federal-Mogul Motorparts
  • 1/3 educator’s and software developers
• ATMC uses the collective knowledge to work on training problems common to all of us.
• ASE doesn’t get the credit for what they do in the industry.
• ASE hears constantly from the industry that students are not being fully prepared, their expectations are too high and they don’t have the patience required to develop the experience they need to become a great technician.
• ASE also hears from the education side that the industry has a poor image and that there aren’t enough intern opportunities.
  • Educators are saying that too many students (approximately 50%) are not in the industry after five years.
    • We are doing a poor job of onboarding, challenging and rewarding them.
  • There is not enough youth joining the industry through the education systems, so the industry must fish in different pools. Subsequently, the industry will be burdened to educate them.
  • They are laying the foundation to resolve these disconnects.
  • The new auto tech graduates want to be in service to others and have meaningful jobs. Do not put a new grad into a situation where they are mopping the floor and given meaningless tasks. They will not stick around.
  • A big challenge is convincing the parents. Convincing them will cost money with a PR campaign.
• Vocational instructors are graying out and retiring.
• We must train the students and the instructors at the same time.
  • Some educators become ‘frozen in time’ at their knowledge level if they don’t continue to get a high level of training.
  • NATEF requirement of 20 hours per year may not necessarily be enough.
• ATMC Survey 2017 – was directed at technicians only. 150,000 techs were sent the survey. 3,200 completed the entire survey.
  • Technician Age:
    • Almost 70% of working technicians are over the age of 45.
    • Almost 40% are over the age of 55.
  • Pay Structure entire industry:
    • 30% of technicians are on a salary
    • 36% of technicians are hourly
    • 26% of technicians are on flat rate
  • Pay Structure independent side:
    • 38% of technicians are on a salary
    • 30% of technicians are hourly
    • 20% of technicians are on flat rate
  • Other trends:
    • Technicians are moving from independents and dealerships to fleets.
      • Only 1% of fleet techs are flat rate.
    • Training:
      • Overall 68% of shop owners are paying for training. The trend is up.
        • 60% of independents
        • 80% of dealerships
        • 70% of fleet
      • 23% of technicians at independent shops are paying for their own training.
    • Factors in a techs inability to get the necessary training:
      • 75% – Availability of Right Training
      • 50% – Lack of quality training
      • 48% – High cost of training
      • 42% – Inability to take time off
    • Greatest training needs:
      • 52% – Electrical / Electronic
      • 48% – Hybrid / EV
      • 46% – Advanced Engine Performance
      • 37% – Automatic Transmissions
      • 31% – Engine Performance.
• We are going to have to steer the future. We will all feel the pain of the problems.
• ATMC is collaborating with the Tech Force Foundation to develop a hands-on experience for middle schoolers. Plans are to take the experience to science museums.
  • ATMC wants to build a resource of opportunities that exist in the industry.

ATMC Website

ATMC Training Benchmark Survey

ASE Website

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This episode is brought to you by Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com

George Arrants is currently the Director of Training & Recruitment for the Wheel Time Network, which includes the Wheel Time University.  WTU provides on-line assessments, training and ASE test preparation for Wheel Time member technicians and fleets that are in need of a training program. WTU has designed instructor lead courses to support and enhance on-line training. As part of the recruitment component of the position, he is developing a program to assist the members 200 + locations to fill their workforce needs.

Commitment to Education.
Arrants is an Automotive Education Consultant specializing in NATEF/ASE Accreditation. He Works with instructors and administrators to develop partnership with local business and industry through programs advisory committees.

George also works with ASE, NATEF & AYES to develop and implement an initiative for the medium/heavy truck industry to partner industry and education and open opportunities for student internships across the country similar to what is already in place in the automotive industry.

Supertech.
George also chairs the Technology and Maintenance Council TMC Suptertech Competition from the beginning in 2005 and the Future Technicians Skills Competition. This competition provides recognition and awards for Technicians and their companies from across the country to showcase their skills and abilities. In 2015, he was awarded the Council’s highest honor — The Silver Spark Plug.

George is also a former high school and community college automotive technology instructor.

NATEF & AYES.
While working for a tool manufacturer he co-authored an instruction manual for schools. This manual simplified the industry accreditation process that is approved by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). George was selected to serve on NATEF’s board of trustees and was the tool company’s liaison to Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES).

Oman listened to George.
Arrants has been a guest of the government of Oman where he evaluated the countries automotive programs and made recommendations to the countries Senior officials including the Minister of Man Power.

DOL.
He also worked closely with U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration where he led the automotive strategic development team that advised the agency’s “High Growth Job Training Initiative”.  He was also selected by the agency to help improve the curriculum and training facilities of the nationwide Job Corps programs in automotive services.  He was a key stakeholder in federal automotive services grants designed to increase training capacity and raise career awareness for youth and other untapped pools of labor.

Education and Family.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. George holds ASE certifications in Automotive & Medium/Heavy Duty Truck, Parts Specialist (Truck & Auto) and Service Consultant.

He and his wife Mary (Saint Mary) live in Lake Jackson, TX. They have 5 children, 1 girl & 4 boys (2 are twins) and has been married for 32 years. Of the 5 the only child in the auto industry is their daughter.

Major talking points in this interview:

• How to develop a good advisory board for secondary and post-secondary education.
• The need for quality Advisory Boards is a national concern with a local solution.
• George shares how to recruit members for advisory boards.
• Advisory panels are made up of the schools ‘customer’.
• Less than 50% of vocational programs in the US do not have an advisory committee.
• Our industry doesn’t have a career ladder but a career lattice. Once you’ve learned the foundational skills you can go anywhere.
• Ask 21 people what the definition of the technician shortage is and you’ll get 21 different answers.
• Tech Shortage: Do we have a lack of qualified applicants or a lack of applicants. Qualified applicants is a different problem.
• We have young people interested in our industry but they are not coming out of the other end of the pipe the way we want them.
• Super Tech is a skills USA type program for big kids. Everything they do in the competition is what the tech would do on the job everyday. The focus is on process and procedures.
• Between 2014-2024 the industry will need 76,900 technicians on the truck side. 60% of that number is replacement; the rest of the number is a new position. George believes the need on the automotive side is north of 200,000.

George urges everyone to get involved in education.

George Arrants Email

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:
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This episode is brought to you by Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com