| |
AUTO INDUSTRY LAUNCHES “HIRE THE HEROES”
|
From left: the army’s Schultz, the marines’ Wood, ASE’s Serratore, and ART’s Willingham |
January 31, 2004—Automotive Retailing Today (ART), the
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE),
and the U.S. military are combining forces to combat the
auto tech shortage. “Technology
is driving the need,” said ART chairman Jim Willingham, noting
that today’s cars boast more computers than the Apollo lunar-landing
craft.
The industry needs 35,000 new, skilled techs each year, and
regional shortages reach into as many as 77 percent of new-car
dealerships. So ART, a coalition of automakers and dealer associations
and the military,
will match soon-to-be and recently separated veterans with
available jobs in the “Hire the Heroes” initiative. The
pool of veterans includes technologically savvy and disciplined workers
whose skills
may be easily adapted to auto repair positions and other
dealership careers, said Willingham.
ASE is joining ART to offer a wide range of tech certification
to active and former military, said Trish Serratore, group vice-president
for industry relations. The military and the Veterans Administration
will foot certification test fees.
Marine captain Debbie Wood—in charge of the Las Vegas area “Marine
for Life” support program—said the “Hire the Heroes” effort
can help ease the jump for the more than 27,000 Marines who
separate from active duty each year.
The Army Career and Alumni Program does much the same thing,
said Army Chief Warrant Officer Kurt Shultz. Add to that
the programs from the navy and air force and a huge potential
workforce is ready
to work. Shultz noted that military personnel show up on
time, are mission oriented, and respect authority. “Hiring a veteran is one of the
best investments an employer can make,” he added.
To learn more about “Hire the Heroes,” visit www.autoretailing.org/military
or call Denise Patton-Pace, ART vice-president and executive director, at 703.845.1153.
(audio/video)
audio/video provided by AutoNetwork.com
|
|
