Adrian, MI – September 3, 2024
The Lenawee Now Automotive Collaborative, Mark Lafollette of the Automotive Service Technology (AST) Program, and the Lenawee Intermediate School District (LISD) TECH Center successfully certified over 20 workers from auto dealerships across Lenawee, Hillsdale, and Jackson Counties. These employees earned credentials in steering, brakes, and suspension. Currently, collaborative members have equipped staff across businesses with a total of 52 State of Michigan certifications. The dealerships plan to offer additional certification opportunities to incumbent workers in the fall of 2024.
The Lenawee Now Automotive Collaborative was formed to address industry-wide talent shortages in auto dealerships across Lenawee, Jackson, and Hillsdale counties. Members use the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) Framework, a methodology nationally certified by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which applies supply chain management principles to create sustainable pipelines of skilled workers to meet employer talent needs.
Certification initiatives began in 2022, targeting the need for skilled entry-level mechanics. At that time, auto retailers struggled to hire new mechanics with the necessary skills and certifications, especially as the average age of current mechanics was 50, leading to a high retirement rate.
Collaborative members focused on upskilling their incumbent workers. Many of these workers had tried and failed to achieve certification in the past, resulting in their assignment to low skill low paying jobs at the dealerships.
In response, the Auto Dealership Collaborative, together with the AST program and LISD TECH Center, established an Adult Learning Services Class. This program provides opportunities for workers to gain certification in in-demand skills, enhancing their capacity at the dealerships. The courses began with brakes, meeting live once a week at the TECH Center to teach best practices. In addition to hands-on learning, participants used an app that sent them five questions daily to answer on their phones.
Since 2022, the collaborative has certified workers in Brakes, Steering and Suspension, and Electrical, with nearly a 100% success rate. According to Jack Townsley, “This initiative was a win/win solution for both the dealerships and the trainees. The dealerships were able to address their need for entry level mechanics and their workers who were upskilled moved from low paying low skilled jobs into a career path as mechanics with a very bright future and high earning potential.”