Bridging the Technician Training Gap

If you’ve been in the automotive industry for any length of time, it won’t come as a shock to you to hear that there is an ongoing technician shortage. With an estimated 795,000 positions unfilled in 2023, the industry is suffering from a lack of critical expertise. RockED’s latest survey of 804 automotive professionals sheds light on the most pressing training needs for both new and experienced technicians. The findings highlight the critical importance of soft skills, beyond just technical knowledge, in fostering success and retention in the field.

Key Insights from RockED’s Survey

• Attitude is everything: The top factors for technician success include willingness to work (92.2%), willingness to learn (91.5%), time management (81.6%), and thoroughness (80.8%).
• Industry certifications are valued: Certified technicians are in high demand. ASE Certified Technicians can earn 20% more than a non-certified technician.
• Technical growth & adaptability are vital: Among improvement areas, technicians prioritized continuous learning (76%), technical knowledge (68.5%), and adaptability to industry changes (63.7%).
• New hires face cultural & communication challenges: Success indicators for entry-level technicians include attitude (84%), attendance (72%), and adapting to automotive culture (67.3%). Meanwhile, teamwork (39.3%) and professionalism (43.2%) ranked lower.
• Lack of leadership communication may be hurting retention: Many respondents with leadership titles rated motivation and communication as “neutral” when asked how often new hire technicians are deficient in each category, suggesting a potential disconnect between leadership and new technicians.
  
  

What This Means for the Industry

The data underscores a growing need for soft skill coaching—particularly in areas like discipline, consistency, and motivation—to improve retention and career growth. Providing structured development programs on time management, adaptability, and documentation could significantly enhance technician performance and job satisfaction.

RockED is stepping up with a solution. Its newest training collection, scheduled to launch in April of 2025, will leverage its signature learning design and gamified platform to deliver the following:

• Prioritize attitude and soft skills in technician training.
• Promote continuous learning is key—technical knowledge alone isn’t enough.
• Focus on better communication and motivation strategies to develop automotive leaders.
• Prepare new hires for cultural adaptation with industry onboarding.
• Deliver practical skills that foster teamwork and collaboration—and room to practice!

By addressing these insights, RockED is helping automotive service providers to strengthen workforce morale, increase productivity, and improve long-term technician retention—ultimately rebuilding a healthier talent pool of auto technicians.

Why This Matters for Leaders

Technician turnover, training gaps, and lack of strong soft skills don’t just impact shop performance—they hit your bottom line and compromise the potential of the industry as a whole.

The automotive industry offers incredible opportunities to deliver outstanding customer experiences, build rewarding careers, and embrace entrepreneurial thinking every day.

Yet, too often, technician turnover, training gaps, and lack of strong soft skills disrupt this potential—leading to poor experiences for both customers and employees. Moreover, by not addressing these issues, your dealerships will continue to struggle with lost revenue ultimately leading to industry losses in the billions annually.

RockED’s Technician Training equips your team with the skills, behaviors and mindsets needed to thrive. Your dealership will feel the difference as you make gains every day by retaining the right talent, reducing onboarding and training time, and boosting monthly performance.

RockED’s Technician Training program will be available as part of RockED Core Content this April 2025. If you are interested in having this and other content from RockED, let us know.