Government fleet managers need to offer incentives to recruit and retain vehicle technicians and mechanics

There is a growing need for trained automotive service technicians, says an executive at TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit with the mission to champion students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional transportation technicians. TechForce has issued a report on the vehicle technician workforce.

TechForce analyzed government labor statistics and determined there is increasing demand for professional vehicle technicians and a declining supply of new technicians entering the industry. Regarding the availability of diesel engine technicians, TechForce notes that there’s been a slight increase in the number of personnel who have earned post-secondary degrees and certificates in maintaining diesel systems. Even so, TechForce concludes that the technician shortage is not going away anytime soon.

“Although demand is strong, with 642,000 auto/diesel/collision techs needed between 2020 and 2024, the shortage continues to worsen. The good news is these careers have been deemed essential by the government, and the transportation industry is organizing to do something about the shortage,” says Jennifer Maher, TechForce CEO.

Nationally, across all industries, employment of automotive service technicians and mechanics is projected to grow 2% from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tabulations.

The BLS predicts there will be about 67,700 openings for automotive service technicians and mechanics each year, on average, over the coming decade. According to BLS analysts: “Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.”

To maintain their fleets, local governments rely on technicians and mechanics. Cities and counties employ 16,020 automotive service technicians and mechanics, according to a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics compilation.

Meanwhile, government vehicle fleets are growing larger, requiring more maintenance and repair of each car, truck or specialty vehicle. Government fleet counts from the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) 2022 Publicly Owned Motor-Vehicles table show sizable increases in government ownership of trucks and truck tractors. State, county and municipal agency fleets added 108,000 trucks and truck tractors in the latest year reported. When compared with year-earlier data, federal agency fleets grew by 100,000+ trucks and truck tractors. The FHWA issued the table November 2023.

Bob Stanton, a veteran of more than 18 years of experience in public fleet management, says government shops can take several steps to recruit qualified fleet technicians and mechanics. Stanton, who is a Certified Public Fleet Professional (CPFP) and operator of Stanton Fleet Consultants, suggests that “Local governments should consider modifying their stringent hiring standards” to include the following workgroups:

• Apprentices and other less-experienced workers
• Consider giving retired mechanics the opportunity to return to work on a part-time basis (e.g., establish technician emeritus positions in the shop).
• Government fleet managers should consider partnering with local high schools and technical colleges to permit students to work in the local government shop to gain hands-on experience.
• Promote, encourage, and even incentivize the hiring of female, minority and ex-military vehicle technicians.

Stanton weighs in with another potential source of personnel who may want to be hired as vehicle technicians in government fleets: “I suspect many of the folks we see crossing the southern border have strong technical skills; a pathway to employment for them would yield mutual benefits.”

Many state and local government employees have access to a defined benefit (DB) pension plan offered by their employer. Stanton believes governments should tout the DB pensions they provide to their workers as an important benefit. “Most local governments still offer a pension benefit to their workers; the value of that public sector pension, however, is underpublicized by those governments,” Stanton tells Co-op Solutions. He adds: “It’s no secret that many retirees have insufficient retirement reserves.”

Stanton offers this conclusion: “Government fleets must endeavor to make their fleets an employment destination.” He offers the following suggestions to help public sector fleet administrators reach that goal:

• Demonstrate the great value of public-sector pension plans to prospective job candidates, and over-publicize that fact to job-seekers.
• Offer a four-day work week; a growing number of governments now have embraced that policy.
• Set up a well-defined career advancement track for fleet mechanics and technicians.
• Establish an advisory team of technicians who work at the facility to interview and qualify potential new hires.
• Develop a robust training program so that technicians can grow their skills from within.
• Recognize and honor those technicians in your shop who demonstrate greater proficiencies through their earning credentials such as National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications.
• Reward those technicians who earn new credentials with financial incentives. Stanton explains: “This will help redefine what it means to work in public service…and it should.”

Stanton says the above tactics should aid in recruiting needed staffers to government garages. “These are all examples of how a local government fleet can become a place where technician retention is high and where technicians aspire to work.” His overall conclusion: “Fleets and personnel departments in the public sector must rethink their strategies if they hope to compete for the dwindling population of skilled technicians.”

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].