Mark Harris, owner of Flagstaff Chevrolet and Winslow Ford, has established his own pipeline to address the need for more skilled auto technicians.
The Northern Arizona dealer (a longtime advocate for growing the pool of skilled technicians in the business) has spearheaded the conversion of a closed body shop he owns into a training facility for Coconino Community College (CCC) in Flagstaff.
Pull up: After a nearly seven-year effort, the school launched classes last week, offering courses in air conditioning, transmissions, electronics, and engine repair.
“I've been working with the president of CCC for many years now, trying to figure out a way to build a facility,” Harris told Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D’Arc and Uli De’ Martino.
“We had a lot next to the dealership, and even went and had the plans designed, and we submitted (them) to the city. The problem was, the city came back and was going to require us to change the entire dealership's layout for parking, landscaping, (and) sidewalks. It basically doubled the cost of the project.”
However, when Harris decided to close the body shop behind his dealership, he had the idea to lease the property to CCC at a huge discount.
Meeting the need: The refurbished and upgraded facility can be utilized 24/7 for training, giving CCC the ability to operate a more robust program for students—unlike a previous partnership with a local Honda dealership that was limited to about two hours per week.
It’s one of the latest initiatives aimed at tackling the technician shortage, an issue Harris says stems from years of failing to promote the profession.
“I don't think the industry has done a really good job—and I'm talking about the OEMs, right now—trying to promote this as a career,” said the seasoned auto veteran, who started his career in the business teaching dealer technicians. “Back in the day, when I was really young, you'd have people going to high schools and promoting the different tech schools.”
Skills programs such as ASAP (Automotive Student Accelerated Program) and Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training) were once more common, Harris added. For too long, OEMs and dealers have discussed the shortage among themselves rather than communicating the message to those who could fill the jobs, he noted.
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Recently, the pendulum has begun to shift—with public figures like actor and TV presenter Mike Rowe, helping to bring national attention to the need for more skilled technicians.
Community-driven: Local involvement played a critical role in launching the CCC tech center. Harris cut the college’s lease costs in half, donated equipment, and brought in a local construction company and contractors who volunteered their time to update offices and bathrooms at the facility.
Bottom line: One of the most important ways to address the technician shortage, Harris said, is by highlighting the benefits of these jobs as one of the few AI-resistant career paths—especially to young people tasked with trying to map out their careers.
“As far as automotive technology, the benefits are the challenges that are involved, certainly the amount of money that you're capable of making is a big deal—but also…the freedom of being able to live anywhere you want, to go to work for almost any OEM that you want,” said Harris. “Open your own business if you want.”
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