Qualified auto technicians remain in high demand

As long as there are vehicles on the road, there will be a need for highly skilled automotive technicians. And for anyone interested in an automotive career, the field is wide open.

Today, keeping automobiles on the road requires service technicians who know how to use the newest diagnostic, repair and maintenance technologies. Automotive technician jobs of today are not the "grease monkey" jobs of yesteryear. Today's cars are more sophisticated, and they require different approaches to servicing them.

Mechanical systems that once required more muscle than intelligence to fix have become far more reliable. Today, car problems are more likely to be caused by a defective electronic sensor than a bad transmission.

Auto service is now a brain game, which has gone from nuts and bolts to ohms and volts. Even the title of the people doing the work has changed -- mechanics are now technicians.

Today's automotive technicians must possess a multitude of skills and a strong aptitude for learning. The mechanical components of cars are constantly changing, and that's why technicians must be kept abreast of technical advances. They must also have a solid understanding of the latest diagnostic tools, PCs and wireless, hand-held computers in troubleshooting problems.

As vehicle components and systems have become more sophisticated, so too have technicians become experts in specific areas such as engine repair, electrical, brakes, wheel alignment, heating systems, air conditioning and transmission repair.

But the supply of trained automotive technicians cannot keep up with the demand. Consumers are holding onto their vehicles for years longer and, more significantly, for miles longer, opting to repair and maintain their current car rather than purchasing new.

In a recent survey, nearly 70 percent of vehicle owners reported that they planned to drive their current vehicle for 150,000 or more miles or until their vehicle dies. Nearly four in five (77 percent) plan to drive their current vehicle for 50,000 (or more) miles than they drove their previous vehicle.

If you like working with your hands, problem solving, computers and cars, then a career in automotive technology may be right for you.

If you are serious about pursuing a career in this field, contact a college that offers courses in automotive technology. Equipped with the right training, you will have job mobility and the security of knowing that your skills will always be in demand, anywhere.

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