December 2022 - 7

The technician shortage
is getting real
By Brendan Baker, Editor
BBaker@EndeavorB2B.com
E
ven before the pandemic,
there was a technician
shortage. Some estimates
say the industry, which includes
every segment from automotive
to aviation, will need more technicians
in the next four years than
we have available in the pipeline.
What does that mean?
According to the Techforce Foundation, a
non-profit group helping replenish the supply
of technicians to shops that desperately need
them, the industry may require almost one
million new technicians by 2026.
TechForce recently released its 2022
Transportation Technician Supply &
Demand Report that shows program graduates
(completions) slipped 2.6 percent and
0.4 percent in the diesel and collision repair
segments but have fallen by a combined 17
percent over the past five years.
Even with a solid year-over-year rebound
in employment for automotive (+4.2 percent)
and diesel (+6.5 percent) repair segments,
the overall picture shows a drop in combined
graduates, going from 48,208 in 2020 to
44,052 in 2021. Collision repair techs have
also dropped 0.7 percent, continuing a sixyear
decline.
At the heart of the issue, TechForce
estimates demand for new automotive/
diesel/collision repair technicians (new and
replacements from prior years) will reach
232,000 in 2022 and balloon to 900,000
through 2026. That big number will need
to be filled in just four years.
A recent article in WIRED magazine
highlighted the issue of fewer shops to repair
high-tech cars and fewer independent shops
capable of working on these vehicles. The
article states that U.S. repair shops fixed
246 vehicles per bay in 2022, compared to
225 in 2016.
The problem growing under our noses is
the amount of expert, specialized knowledge,
and expensive tools required to do the job.
And in many cases, independent shops can't
get all the necessary repair information to do
the job. Without expert techs who know how
to use high-tech tools and think like engineers,
some shops are reluctant to work on a
vehicle if they know they can't do it right. So
they send the job to the dealership. But even
dealerships need help hiring techs.
The issue of repairing vehicles in a timely
and affordable manner has also worsened.
According to WIRED, it took an average of
2.1 days longer to fix a car in 2021 than in
2019; and nearly 11 days overall on average.
Some experts suggest that getting a vehicle
repaired in the future (10 years from now)
will require the vehicle owner to travel
significantly farther to find a shop to do the
work (especially for late-model cars).
The state of the repair industry should
matter to everyone involved, not just to the
repair shops.
" The solution to this crisis lies in industry,
non-profit, education, and government
partners working together to build awareness,
curiosity, and interest in these careers
among our youth, " said TechForce CEO
Jennifer Maher. " This year's report underscores
the challenges we face in attracting,
training, and retaining technicians and the
boundless opportunities available for these
technology-intensive industries. "
PTEN EDITORIAL
ADVISORY BOARD
TECHNICIANS
ERIC MOORE,
DeMary Trucks, Columbus, OH
LOU FORT,
K.A.R.S. Inc., Huntingburg, IN
SHOP OWNERS
KIM AUERNHEIMER,
Cool Springs Automotive, Brentwood, TN
TANNER BRANDT,
Autodiag Clinic, Welford, SC
PHIL FOURNIER,
Phil's Auto Clinic, Hemet, CA
JD GOAD,
Goad's Body Shop, Lexington, VA
EDWIN HAZZARD,
Southeast Mobile Tech, Goose Creek, SC
PETE RUDLOFF,
Pete's Garage Inc., Newark, DE
MICHELLE TANSEY,
Dubclinic, Santa Clara, CA
FACEBOOK
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ptenmagazine
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linkedin.com/company/
professional-equipment-tool-news
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@ptenmagazine
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PTEN (Professional Tool
& Equipment News)
EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS
KIMBERLY COTTLE
Associated Equipment
JIM O'HARA,
Clore Automotive
www.VehicleServicePros.com DECEMBER 2022 PROFESSIONAL TOOL & EQUIPMENT NEWS 7
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December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2022
