The Greeley Tribune reports on how auto shops in the mid-sized city are having a tough time filling open positions.
Low unemployment and higher participation in four-year colleges have created a smaller labor pool, particularly younger skilled and unskilled workers.
The Tribune reported that a renewed interest in trade schools and related programs might be the key to bringing young, trained auto technicians back into the market.
NOLN covered the tight labor climate for fast lube shops last fall. Companies might be changing the way that they hire, including expanding their scope to include more potential applicants and strengthening training. It also means making your company a desirable place to work as businesses compete to hire and power is shifted onto the applicants.
“We’re already seeing some wage growth, though not as much as many people expected,” Indeed.com’s chief economist, Jed Kolko, told NOLN in September. “Paying people more needs to be a starting point.”
There’s also a movement to promote quick lube work to younger people as an effective entryway into the auto shop industry.
Back in Greeley, shop owners told the Tribune that another cause for hope are newer representations of the automotive industry and car culture in the media. Those do well to draw younger viewers’ interest to explore careers in the field.
