French: Can I be Candid?

Confession time: Some days I come home from work feeling like my brain is about to melt out of my head. On those days, all I want to do is sit down, grab my phone, and doom scroll for a while. Somewhere between the memes, industry updates, and random posts, I see a repetitious theme—technician training and development. It seems like it’s everywhere—online courses, coaching programs, leadership advice, skill-building strategies. And honestly it can feel overwhelming at times.

With so much information being thrown around, it’s difficult to figure out where to even begin. What direction should you take? What skills actually need improvement? What resources are worth your time? If you’re a shop owner or in a leadership role, building a training path for your team can feel like trying to herd cats. Everyone is at a different skill level. Everybody learns differently. Everyone has different goals.

So, what advice actually works? Is there some perfect, one-size-fits-all training path that solves everything? Heck no.

You’d have a better chance of riding a unicorn through a Dunkin’ drive-thru than finding a single training solution that works for everyone. (That’s the realist in me, not the idealist.)

So where does that leave us?

Instead of continuing to scroll through endless opinions and “best practices,” I decided to go straight to the source and ask the techs themselves. Because at the end of the day, training isn’t going to work unless the people receiving it actually benefit from it. We can assign online modules, schedule classes, and invest in a variety of programs, but if those methods don’t match how technicians learn, or if the material isn’t relevant, then it’s just busy work and noise. Or even worse—it becomes something technicians dread.

I reached out with a list of questions including:

• What does training look like to you?
• What do you feel is missing from your workplace training?
• What do you want training to look like in the future?
• What makes training feel like a waste of time?

The amount of feedback I received was awesome, and the responses were honest and transparent. These technicians are scattered all over the world, so they don’t know each other, but their responses were extremely consistent in a few key areas.

After-Hours Training is Tough

One technician, Valerie, pointed out something that MANY people in our industry struggle with quietly: training that happens after hours or on weekends. She acknowledged that it can be challenging for shop owners to allow technicians to leave during work hours for training because profit usually suffers without technicians to keep the flow going. But that doesn’t make it any easier for technicians. After a full workday, asking someone to stay longer or give up personal time for training and development can be draining—not to mention the number of technicians who are parents and have family responsibilities outside of the workplace that directly conflict with after-hours training sessions. Her suggestion was simple but important: to invest in better, more focused hands-on training during the workday. Make it count. She also emphasized the value of relevant case studies and live demonstrations—things that can connect automotive theory to real-world scenarios and applications.

Relevance is Crucial in Creating a Captive Audience

Another technician, Mike, highlighted the importance of hands-on experience, especially for newer technicians. Learning by doing is essential in this industry. He also mentioned how much he valued product shows where manufacturers walk through common failures they’ve seen in the field and how they address them. On the flip side, he shared a frustration that a lot of us can relate to—instructors who spend too much time on irrelevant background information instead of getting to the point. Some of us have experienced classes where the instructor spends 30 minutes talking about themselves before even jumping into the relevant content. When training time is limited, every second matters.

Effective Training = Engaged Students

Austin shared a story about one of the best training experiences he’s ever had, and it paints a clear picture of what effective training can look like. A trainer from an auto equipment manufacturer spent two full days at his shop working with small groups to avoid pulling technicians off customers’ vehicles all at the same time. The training combined classroom instruction with hands-on activities. After covering theory and fundamentals, the team spent the rest of their time performing alignments on each other’s vehicles to get exposure to a variety of different suspension systems. What made the training stand out for Austin wasn’t just the structure of the course, but the depth. The instructors took the time to provide such an extensive understanding of the alignment equipment that was installed that they felt confident enough to apply those skills by the end of the training. Even details like equipment maintenance were included, reinforcing the fact that training isn’t always about fixing cars—it’s also about understanding the tools and equipment you’re using, and how to properly maintain and utilize them. His takeaway was that the investment in training was worth it.

Hone in on Hands-On Training

Sarah pointed out the growing need for more EV training resources, highlighting a major gap in the industry. At the same time, she echoed what the others said: too much training relies on web courses and basic theory without enough hands-on and practical application. 
Spencer talked about the value of apprenticeship programs, especially when newer techs are paired with those who are more experienced. While not every apprentice progresses at the same pace, the combination of hands-on work and structured learning creates a strong foundation to build off of. Additionally, those who have to wait to be sent to training have a mentor to guide them in the meantime.

Meanwhile, Tom and Jackie both stressed the importance of one-on-one guidance and learning from experienced technicians in a mentorship—not just from a screen. (Sound familiar?) While digital resources have their place, they can’t fully replace real-world experiences in a hands-on dominant field.

Follow Through on Training When it’s Promised

Nick summed up a frustration that isn’t emphasized enough: Empty promises. Being told that training is coming and then waiting months or even more than a year for it creates disengagement and trust issues. If training is positioned as a top priority in your workplace, treat it like one. I’ve seen firsthand these promises get swept under the rug. It’s extremely frustrating for technicians—especially when they are being dispatched jobs that are above their skill level.

Training has to be Relevant

Real-life scenarios make information stick. As a former instructor, I have learned that you have to incorporate “What’s in it for me?” nuggets of information. Why should they care about this training? What makes it a critical piece of information? How will this make their lives easier? Covering these bases creates the connection for the technician as to why this training is important/relevant. 

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all of this feedback? If there’s one clear takeaway, it’s that effective training isn’t just about checking a box; it’s all about being intentional. Although there’s no universal solution for training, there are certainly obvious patterns.

Above all, these guys and gals just want to be heard. It sounds simple but asking your team what they really need—and actually listening to the answers—can change everything. Although every request can’t be fulfilled and every preference can’t be accommodated, listening can help to make training more targeted, relevant, and effective. It might even help to identify the gaps you may not have spotted otherwise. Maybe your team doesn’t need another general course, but they need deeper training in a specific area. Maybe they’re overwhelmed with online modules but starved for more hands-on experience. Maybe they’re eager to learn, but don’t have access to the right resources. You won’t know unless you ask.

At the end of the day, you have to invest in your people. When techs feel supported in their growth, it radiates into their work, their confidence, and their commitment to the shop.