Auto Tech Student Prepared for Workforce Despite Technician Shortage
Feb. 22, 2022—Amanda Kliever enrolled in the Matrix Trade Institute’s Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair Program looking for a career change.
“I wanted to do something different from anything I’ve ever done and it happened when I got my car fixed,” she said, as reported by Spectrum News 1.
Her curiosity piqued when she noticed an posting for auto technicians. She enrolled in the Matrix Trade Institute’s 20-week Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair Program after learning more about the trade and praised the school for workforce preparation.
“There’s a lot of information you have to learn, but they do in such a way that you’re building relationships, both with your instructors, with your classmates and I feel it really prepares you for the kind of culture you’ll experience,” she said.
Though statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show women making up only 2.3% of those employed as automotive service technicians and mechanics in 2021, she feels it’s the right choice, and she looks forward to making an impact.
“It gives me more of an opportunity to shine, because it’s not really expected of me,” she said.
Kliever, who graduates later this month, enters an auto industry hampered by supply chain issues and labor shortages. The National Automobile Dealers Association projects a shortage of 370,000-plus auto service technicians over the next four years.Despite the outlook, she’s optimistic and eager to work..
“Parts are really hard to come by and because of that’ll drive up the price of the parts, so it’s becoming a really fine balance between having what we need and being able to provide that service that’s actually necessary for customers,” she said.
