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 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

partner with educators through the Minnesota Transportation Center of Excellence (MNTCOE).

“We collaborate not just on the financial side, but also in our efforts,” MNTCOE Executive Director Chris Hadfield explains. “Industry and education have overlapping goals; when we each give a little, it enhances our ability to inspire students, engage employers and make an impact.”

By designing a singular message about the industry (and the education needed to successfully enter it), MNCARS prevents students from receiving mixed signals.

“We’ve collaboratively decided what to say and how to say it, so we are delivering a consistent message to prospective students. MNCARS is unique and innovative, but we’re gaining traction because the message is intentional and cohesive.

“Other transportation industries have expressed interest in similar programs, but the difference with MNCARS is the intentionality behind our strategy. Everyone else is throwing spaghetti against a wall to see

what sticks, but our metrics show us what’s working – and what’s not.”

In fact, a member of the Minnesota Trucking Association recently approached Hadfield to explain his ideas for outreach. “He literally described MNCARS! I told him, ‘Don’t reinvent the wheel - please talk to AASP-MN Executive Director Judell Anderson.’ MNCARS creates an equal partnership between industry and education in our efforts with collaborative ownership, decision-making and responsibility.”

Since MNCARS was founded by AASP-MN in 2016, the initiative has undertaken various methods of engaging young people — through social media, promotional videos, scholarships, in-person events and more. Carcareers.org offers a great resource, the MotorMouth Toolbox, which is a complete kit of promotional materials and talking points for industry professionals to use when delivering high school presentations and other community outreach.

Visiting with students at career fairs is a highlight for Archambault.

“Meeting kids, hearing their stories and finding out the interests of today’s youth is so fun and energizing. It’s great to get their perspective on career paths and the world as a whole.”

Sjolseth enjoys “encouraging kids that this is a worthwhile career,” both at career fairs and through the Nitro-X summer camps that MNTCOE hosted for middle school students this past summer.

“Young kids are so impressionable, but many of them

MNCARS at Back to the '50s Dan Sjolseth and Lou Kharrat at DCTC Career Fair promoting industry careers

Student Day at World of Wheels

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don’t get exposed to cars like we did as children. At camp, they paint cars and take field trips to local auto businesses. Hopefully, it inspires them to pursue an automotive career.

“But it takes involvement from the entire industry – it shouldn’t just be one entity trying to fix this problem. Anyone working in a shop needs to be involved in local high school and technical college advisory boards, giving back and supporting these schools so students graduate with the highest level of industry understanding – we need all hands on deck if we’re going to eliminate this problem.”

Archambault agrees and plans “to continue supporting MNCARS in its endeavors to drive people into the industry. My ultimate hope is that entry into our field will be so highly desired that MNCARS does not need to exist.”

We are on a roll and need your help to build on this momentum! MNCARS is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign to raise $200,000 for its work over the next 3 years. Your support pledge can be made in a single, lump-sum payment or paid annually over the next three years. Please contact the AASP-MN office at (612) 623-1110 or Dan Sjolseth at (651) 5927348 to find out how you can contribute. Whether $50,000 or $500, every contribution will help move us closer to building a highquality workforce for Minnesota’s automotive service industry, now and into the future.

Two Great Companies. One Great Program.

Inside AASP-MN's MNCARS Campaign