In a study from 2006 from the Canadian Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) Council, it was estimated that approximately 50% of automotive service technicians will begin to retire by 2016; and the industry and ESDC predict that there will not be sufficient numbers of technicians to keep pace with the attrition. The independent installer represents the core market for the traditional aftermarket. AIA believes government skills policies must include skills required to maintain technically complex vehicles for consumers once they are manufactured, and will work with government on a number of initiatives to ensure this happens.
Initiatives include: tax credits for apprenticeships; tax credits to employers who participate in coop education/work programs or accredited apprenticeship programs; support and funding for hands-on training to more apprentices, including equipment upgrades; co-marketing of auto sector jobs with academia; industry-government working groups to improve the image of automotive careers; improving transferability of credentials between colleges and universities; and the use technology to overcome cost, time, and geographic barriers to training, especially for small businesses.
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