Sears Imported Autos, Inc

Preparing & Training the Agents of Change in Future Technology

A few years ago, when people talkmechanical systems.” ed about connected vehicles and She recalls attending the SEMA self-driving, Elaina Farnsworth said Show in 2016 and listening to John it was perceived as a computer-based Waraniak, vice president of vehicle industry. technology at SEMA.

The CEO of The NEXT Educa“He said that many years ago, tion said every person interested in we would be standing up on this stage intelligent transportation and saying, ‘I have the fastest, mobility systems was expectcoolest and loudest car,’” ed to have computer science said Farnsworth. “In the next and engineering skills. 10 years, we are going to be

Very quickly, organisaying, ‘I have the most conzations realized the need nected car.’” for technicians to repair the Anticipating the changes infrastructure and technoloElaina Farnsworth ahead, Farnsworth set out gy in these vehicles after a to create a learning path for collision. the next generation of workers inter

“It is no longer your dad’ s autoested in being part of the automotive mobile,” said Farnsworth. “Cars are industry. evolving where most of all vehicles “W e need technicians to underare built with sensor technology and stand the coolness around these vemove data. As a technician, you will hicles and we need the repairers to need to know a little about sensors, understand this is a very interesting technology, electrical systems and field that pays a lot of money,” she

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the employee immediately notified the owner of K&L Auto Crushers in Tyler, TX, when she was diagnosed, and told the company the estimated length of her chemotherapy treatment. Shortly after starting chemotherapy, the owner told the employee, who was K&L’s comptroller, the company had secured temporary help and that she should stay home until she was finished with her chemotherapy.

The comptroller asked the owner if she could work from home, and later requested a modified work schedule, while she was undergoing chemotherapy, but K&L denied both requests. K&L fired her, but did not tell her she had been terminated until she finished chemotherapy. Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) The EEOC, which filed suit after first attempting to reach a settlement with K&L, seeks back pay and compensatory and punitive damages, as well as an order barring K&L from engaging in discriminatory treatment in the future. “This comptroller was a hardworking, loyal employee who sought multiple avenues to continue working during her illness and chemotherapy treatment,” said Meaghan Kuelbs, senior trial attorney with the EEOC. “Employers should fairly consider an employee’s accommodation request and deny an accommodation only if it would create an undue hardship.” said. “It doesn’t take a four-year degree.”

Instead, she said technicians can learn the necessary skills through targeted education. Farnsworth has focused on certification, training and upskilling programs in intelligent transportation, connected and autonomous vehicles and new mobility systems for more than 20 years.

In 2018, she established The NEXT Education, offering certification and credentialing programs related to connected transportation systems, autonomous vehicles and cybersecurity. This year, Farnsworth partnered with Regina Hopper, who has a background in transportation, communications, energy public policy, media and law, and serves as the chief strategy officer .

“Our mission is simple: we want to create agents of change who will lead critical new mobility systems development and deployment,” explained Farnsworth.

The program is based on what she refers to as “MicroT raX,” a hybrid education model that combines self-paced learning with instructor interaction.

The online live training is presented by subject-matter experts who are leaders in their respective fields. Each seven- to 10-minute module is built to be a consumable piece of competency-based education to prepare organizations and individuals for the future.

Since COVID-19, The NEXT Education has been focusing on online live instruction, but plans to return to in-person seminars in 2021.

The learning is geared to a cross-section of the industry and is targeted to both new technicians entering the industry as well as those seeking

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