Serving Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana & Idaho
Adopt a School
Need to hire good service technicians? The answer is right down the street – at your local high school or college.
Adopt a School
The ASE Education Foundation works with over 2,300 automotive technology training programs nationwide impacting over 100,000 students annually to provide the transportation industry a viable workforce through standards and credentials for institutions, organizations, and individuals.
The goal of the ASE Adopt-A-School program is to bridge the gap between businesses in the transportation industry and the schools in their local communities. This mutually beneficial program enables businesses to provide support to their local schools, while simultaneously providing those businesses with access to up-and-coming automotive service professionals entering the work force.
THE CHALLENGE
Demand for automotive technicians is greater than ever. More baby boomers retire every day, and we are competing with other skilled trades for the best young people. Sure, you can hire seasoned techs away from other businesses. But that’s costly and there is no guarantee they will stay for long or fit into your business culture. There is a better way!
THE SOLUTION
Partner with your local schools to grow your own. Yes, that takes time, but it enables you to choose and nurture the technicians who will grow with you and are more likely to stay long term.
Why Adopt a School?
How do you find and train new technicians? There are students right now who are taking automotive training classes at your local high school or college. And the good news is that the school provides them with the fundamental training they need to get started.
But this needs to be a two-way street. Schools want to provide well-trained entry-level technicians, but they need your help and input to be successful and meet your employment needs. Schools need partners from industry to provide advice and guidance, demonstrate career opportunities for their students, and help those students get the hands-on experience that will grow their skills and encourage them to stick with an automotive career.
Partnership is the answer. When you support your local school’s training program, you are not only building the future pipeline of talent for your service bays. You can also grow community awareness for your business, find candidates for a variety of jobs in your company, and build teamwork and morale.
Does partnership make a difference? Absolutely! Many businesses hire students while they are still in school. Done right, this “work-based learning” reinforces classroom instruction and increases students’ hands-on skills, making graduates more productive from the start. Research shows that students who participate in work-based learning are more likely to join the transportation service industry and remain there long-term. By supporting your local schools, you help solve the technician shortage and increase retention. Everyone wins!
How much time and money do you need to invest? That depends on you. You can start working with your school very simply and grow the partnership as you see the benefits grow. Keep in mind that you are really investing in your business as well as your community. And ASE is here to help with a plan and plenty of action steps you can take.
As Easy as 1, 2, 3
1
Connect with a school
- Find ASE accredited automobile, collision, and truck programs close to you at ASEeducationFoundation.org/find-a-program. Each listing includes contact information.
- Reach out to the program’s instructor and schedule a meeting, perhaps an inperson visit to the school
- Discuss how you can help the program, students, and industry by your involvement. Be sure to review your own goals and what you could gain from the program as well.
2
GET INVOLVED
- Join the program advisory committee. Members are drawn from local businesses like yours. Committees typically meet twice a year to review the training program and provide guidance and feedback. This is critical to ensure that students graduate with the knowledge and skills that employers need.
- Donate to the program. That can be in the form of supplies, t-shirts, parts, tools, equipment or even entire vehicles. You can also fund scholarships for high school students to continue their education.
- Participate in program activities. These can vary from simple to involved, so it is easy to get started and grow your involvement over time.
3
FILL THE PIPELINE
The transportation industry has a shortage of qualified service professionals. Not only will you be helping your community and industry, you’ll be able to hire and train your future employees right from the start.
What are you waiting for? Get started today! Go to ASEeducationFoundation.org/adoptaschool to access the complete toolkit with detailed plans, ideas, and examples. It’s free!
Adopt a School
Brittany Miller Operations
Director ASE Education Foundation