Dive Brief:
- Ford Motor Co. and Bloomberg Philanthropies are making a $5 million investment to help Detroit area public school students prepare for auto technician careers to help address an industrywide shortage, the automaker announced in a blog post.
- The funds will be used to modernize classrooms, support teachers with training on advanced automotive technology and help students secure industry credentials before graduating — with the goal of training 300 new technicians over the next three years.
- According to Ford, the U.S. auto industry will need more than 350,000 new technicians by 2029 to keep pace with rapid vehicle technological shifts, including 7,000 in the automaker’s home state of Michigan.
Dive Insight:
Ford says the partnership with Detroit Public Schools Community District reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting future auto technician roles, which now require advanced computer diagnostic skills alongside traditional tools.
The investment builds on the Ford Auto Tech Scholarships offered in partnership with its dealers. Ford Philanthropy and Ford dealers have invested over $11 million in scholarships since 2023 to support 2,200 students across the U.S., including $4 million dedicated to 800 students this year alone.
As part of the new initiative with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ford’s Customer Service Division will ensure students are trained to the technical standards and requirements for its dealerships, while Ford Philanthropy will offer financial support to remove other barriers, such as acquiring tools and transportation costs.
The program will offer students more affordable, hands-on training and clearer pathways into the automotive workforce that’s facing a growing, nationwide shortage of qualified service technicians, according to the blog post, which was authored by Ford Philanthropy President Mary Culler and Daniel Justo, VP of the Ford Customer Service Division.
In an appearance on the Office Hours Business Edition podcast in January, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the automaker currently has roughly 5,000 dealership service technician positions remaining unfilled at its dealerships, despite wages of up to $120,000 a year.
“A [service] bay with a lift and tools, and no one working in them,” he said.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of automotive service technicians and mechanics is projected to grow 4% from 2024 to 2034, with an average of 70,000 openings for automotive service technicians and mechanics projected each year over the ten-year span. A majority of the job openings will be to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, including retirement.
By providing the training, tools and transportation students need, the automaker hopes the program will serve as a road map for other communities and provide more students with expanded career options with well-paying jobs in the auto industry.
The median pay for auto service technicians was $49,670 per year in 2024, or $23.88 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In addition to the $5 million investment with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ford said it's committing $300 million this year to support skilled trades workforce development across automotive technician training programs, manufacturing apprenticeships, philanthropic giving and other corporate initiatives, according to its blog post.
