The program provides apprenticeship training that builds a pathway as early as high school graduation that can lead to a stable, well-compensated profession. Auto Repair is experiencing a crisis around a technician shortage that has led to higher labor costs and longer repair wait times for consumers. Less than 2% of technicians are women. We know women, LGBTQ+ folx, and BIPOC folx are entering the industry, but they are not staying due to a toxic culture that does not welcome them. We have a welcoming space that will celebrate the diversity of our apprentices and allow them to focus on this craft and excel in the industry. As part of this program, we will train and support other shops around creating welcoming work environments so we can retain more talent in this profession and disrupt a toxic culture that has centered on white male supremacy for too long. We believe disrupting this is the key to our industry’s survival. Through this program, Auto Repair Transformation will partner with Repair Revolution and other industry partners to train apprentices in all of the nationally recognized Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) core competencies.
According to The National Women’s Law Center, the number of women entering the trades has not increased “for decades due in large part to the discrimination that blocks women from entering and staying in the field. Sexual harassment and hostility, lack of mentors, and stereotyped assumptions about women’s capabilities all contribute to the problem.” Industry-wide there is a shortage of skilled automotive technicians. A huge part of this problem is that the industry is leaving behind a huge percentage of the available workforce by not welcoming women and other folks from underrepresented populations. Diversifying the talent pipeline in this industry is an urgent issue with the workforce crisis the industry is facing. “Although demand is strong, with 642,000 auto/diesel/collision techs needed between 2020 and 2024, the shortage continues to worsen.” Auto Repair Transformation endeavors to increase the percentage of marginalized folks entering and staying in this industry by creating an apprenticeship program that prioritizes these communities and by working with industry partners to create welcoming shop environments to retain this workforce through our Beyond our Bay Doors – Partners in Equity Program.
