Chairman’s Corner: Tariffs, Trade Still Top Policy Issues
September 24, 2019Chairman’s Corner: Glad Tidings
December 26, 2019Peter Beard, Senior Vice President, Regional Workforce Development, Greater Houston Partnership
The National Auto Dealers Association Foundation projects there’ll be a shortage of 370,000 auto service technicians through 2026. Though this is a national estimate, local and regional employers expect a significant shortfall in the number of qualified technicians and mechanics to fill projected job vacancies in the coming years as well.
Experts say the evolving nature of work coupled with population shifts have decreased talent pools for crucial roles, and automotive and heavy equipment leaders have told UpSkill Houston that pipelines for positions that are in high demand, such as automotive technician and diesel mechanic, simply aren’t producing a skilled workforce large enough to fit the current and projected need.
Two main questions have emerged from our conversations with employers: How do we attract talent? How do we keep talent?
Over the past few months, major employers and stakeholders have come together through UpSkill Houston, an initiative of the Greater Houston Partnership, to launch an employer-led collaborative focused on attracting, training and retaining well-qualified technicians and mechanics.
Employer leaders of this new UpSkill Houston Industry Council – Gulf States Toyota, Group 1 Automotive, Mustang Caterpillar, and METRO – are working to identify and provide facts about the demand for workers in these roles along with the education, credentials, and skills individuals need to build successful careers.
The Council aims to accurately define the size of the talent pool employers will require over the next three to five years and is developing a demand survey for sector employers. Members have begun identifying competencies essential to the success of an entry-level worker in automotive and heavy equipment distribution and manufacturing fields to help those involved in the hiring process review or adjust job requirements.
The Council also wants to measure the quality of education and training programs with assistance from the Automotive Services Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation, which supports high school and college programs in accrediting their automotive programs. The Council would recognize high performers and aid those that need to improve or receive accreditation.
Finally, the Council hopes to understand how to build or sustain support systems, such as mentorship programs, to help new or incumbent employees remain within a company or industry long-term. Council members believe these systems could help decrease the attrition of workers who lack strong support systems of their own.
Additional conversations and voices are needed to broaden the Council’s insight and work. The Council seeks additional leaders who share an interest in addressing workforce issues that affect the industry as a whole.
This is an important opportunity for leaders to inform and advance the Council’s work; help connect employers with talent pipelines through schools, technical programs, and workforce development organizations; and drive positive change that affects the bottom line while providing opportunities for residents to enter careers within Greater Houston’s critical automotive and heavy equipment industries.
If you are up for helping to cultivate talent within this sector contact UpSkill Houston at UpSkill@houston.org.
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UpSkill Houston is a nationally recognized, employer-led initiative that develops programs and practices critical to ensuring that Greater Houston has the skilled workforce it needs to sustain a strong, diverse economy with opportunity for all. It is designed and powered by the Greater Houston Partnership to work with employers to close Houston’s skills gap.