Canton area auto dealers are taking the job glut into their own hands by developing technicians starting in high school.
The Stark County Automobile Dealers Association is working with Canton South High School on an initiative to cultivate the next generation of automobile technicians. The program, called Automotive Youth Educational Systems, was founded by the National Automobile Dealers Association and is funded by several major car manufacturers.
The goal is to recruit high school students with mechanical aptitude to pursue careers in automotive technology and prepare them for entry-level positions or academic options.
“AYES is a school-to-career program that coordinates high school classroom studies with on-the-job experience,” explains Beti Yoder, executive vice president of the Stark County Automobile Dealers Association. “The program gives prospective employers a larger pool of potential employees with hands-on experience from which to choose.”
