COVER STORY
PLANTING SEEDS TO GROW THE FUTURE WORKFORCE: Inside AASP-MN's MNCARS Campaign
Growing strong, healthy crops is impossible without the right nutrients – they need sunlight and water to bloom. Developing quality automotive professionals isn’t much different, or at least that’s the approach Minnesota Careers in Auto Repair and Service (MNCARS) has taken, as its Board members strive to inspire students with an interest in the automotive service and collision repair industries. The secret to MNCARS’ “green thumb” lies in the inter-industry collaboration between different channels of the automotive industry. As Tom Archambault (BLVD Autoworks; St. Anthony), president of AASP-MN and MNCARS Board member, observes, “Sustaining our industry requires new people entering the workforce at all levels: Technicians, service advisors, parts supply chain and so on. That begins with bringing awareness of education and employment opportunities to parents, students and career counselors. MNCARS was built to be that platform.” “MNCARS makes students and their parents conscious of the high-income potential in an automotive career – without investing in a four-year college degree,” Dave Bock (Auto Parts HQ), AASP-MN Associate Member and MNCARS Board member, adds. “We obviously benefit if a student decides to pursue an education as
10 | October 2021
a parts professional, but we also benefit when they pursue careers as mechanical technicians or body repair specialists who may become a valued customer down the road. It’s critical for all AASP-MN members to contribute toward this initiative; MNCARS recruits the next generation of salespeople, repairers and shop owners whose actions will impact all member businesses in the future.” Dan Sjolseth, owner of Superior Service Center (Eagan) agrees that industry involvement is vital. “At every meeting, we talk about how to find technicians, but the problem won’t auto-correct if we do nothing! MNCARS inspires a passion for the industry in these kids.” Industry professionals who participate in MNCARS
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