Service - the big issue that's getting bigger

[Gaalpwrd]

I had some local electricians working at my house a few weeks ago. The previous week they had been in a skills recertification class to renew their licenses. There were more than 40 people in the class. They said only 2 were under 30, and the majority were in their 50's and 60's.

For reasons I (and they) just don't understand, younger people are not training for high demand jobs that pay well.

This is likely because for a long time college was heralded as the end all be all of a successful life. It's silly looking back on it but I was literally told I would be a failure if I didn't go to college (I finally did in my mid 20s). We need to talk about how great the trades truly are and that no matter what AI does, it doesn't do it without electricity among other things.

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[Toby57]

I had some local electricians working at my house a few weeks ago. The previous week they had been in a skills recertification class to renew their licenses. There were more than 40 people in the class. They said only 2 were under 30, and the majority were in their 50's and 60's.

For reasons I (and they) just don't understand, younger people are not training for high demand jobs that pay well.

Electricians, and other skilled trades, in many areas, must take twenty credit hours training, ten of which must be code related to be able to renew their licence.
As for the young not getting in the trades has been a nationwide problem for years.

 

[ivan256]

I had some local electricians working at my house a few weeks ago. The previous week they had been in a skills recertification class to renew their licenses. There were more than 40 people in the class. They said only 2 were under 30, and the majority were in their 50's and 60's.

For reasons I (and they) just don't understand, younger people are not training for high demand jobs that pay well.

Are they not interested in a high demand job that pays well? Or are they not interested in being an underpaid apprentice to a master electrician for years before they're allowed to work for a fair rate?

 

[RickLightning]

Are they not interested in a high demand job that pays well? Or are they not interested in being an underpaid apprentice to a master electrician for years before they're allowed to work for a fair rate?

I can tell you when we had our whole house generator put in last September, the non-master electricians in the group couldn't stop bitching, as did the master electrician who should have been fired. The younger guys told me that they were "outta here" once they had what they needed in terms of time.

 

[Jim657]

Don’t know what the majority of trades are going to do. Major shortages coming in North America retired mechanic here of almost 30 years. Long hours, if you’re on the flat rate system, you have no idea what your pay may be at the end of two weeks if the shop isn’t consistently busy. Plus very physical work compared to so many options available today. Just look at the amount of people working from home really no incentive to go into a trade if you can make more money and be at home. And I’m sure for the technicians out there that are salary it’s a bit of a different story. My local Ford dealership always advertising for technicians.

 

[GDN]

The shortage of skilled technicians at dealerships is not new with EVs. It's just adding to the problem.

When we still had an ICE vehicle, we got free oil changes from the dealership, which was a nice cost savings. From 2014 to 2021, the time it took for the oil change steadily increased from about 45 minutes to almost three hours.

To be fair, I should say almost 2.5 hours, but I was counting that time when I had to wait an additional 30 minutes for the car to be brought out because the person doing that couldn't drive standard. At least that's one skill not required with EVs.

This is really meant to be tongue in cheek (or maybe just shows I grew up low to barely middle class) but there was a time my dad did our oil changes in the driveway and you didn't need even a lowly skilled technician at a dealership.

Seriously - while I do think we have a lack of skilled workers like mechanics, there is something to be said for management of the work and just making things happen. How long has it been since you found even a half decent service advisor that knows where the key goes into the ignition? My dealership had 6 or 7 of them and at least 2 supervisors. NONE of them could tell me what was going on with my truck when I wanted to know last year. Then to boot - they only had about 50 (very honest count) vehicles sitting on a lot waiting on service of some sort. Why ? Because the dealership had no clue when they'd be able to work on one and schedule an appointment for the vehicle to be brought back in the day before it would have a slot in the garage.

There is no excuse for that kind of laziness and lack of understanding about repairs and parts orders and planning. It has been done for years. Some still do it, but most do not. It's a lack of caring and planning and managing.

 

[RickLightning]

Picked up my truck Tuesday afternoon untouched since Monday at 8AM. They agreed to get back to me when Tech showed up. He showed up Weds AM, but had an all day job to finish...

Today they said "come on down". Tech was waiting. 1:45 later I was out of there - bad APIM ordered, frunk cover replaced and new power button in rear (both ordered by proactive Service Manager). APIM replacement mid-week next week they hope.

 

[HaroldCal]

Speaking of the skills gap, and the need for people to opt for the skilled trades: Shout that from the rooftops, for sure.

With that said, I have a friend who is a cautionary tale for my kids. He's a heavy equipment mechanic, has been for many years. He's in his late 50's now, and his body is breaking down. Getting under equipment is difficult on his best days. But he has nowhere else to go, nothing else to do, no other marketable skills. There is no path to management in his company, and he's leery of going to another company for fear of starting over somewhere unknown.

Now granted, a lot of that is that last sentence. But that doesn't diminish the cautionary aspect of the bigger picture. Someone going into a physical trades job need to be conscious that they won't be young forever. Take some classes on the side, so you have a path to management. Or to start your own business. But whatever you do, have a plan for when your titanium knees tell you that your days of crawling under equipment are over.

Worth mentioning that he has made a comfortable middle class living for his family. I don't want anything I typed above to discourage anyone from skilled trades. There are truly high demand jobs that pay good wages pretty much everywhere. Just have a plan is all I'm saying.

 

[Lytning]

I had some local electricians working at my house a few weeks ago. The previous week they had been in a skills recertification class to renew their licenses. There were more than 40 people in the class. They said only 2 were under 30, and the majority were in their 50's and 60's.

For reasons I (and they) just don't understand, younger people are not training for high demand jobs that pay well.

Definitely not all, and hopefully not a majority, but I know of many 20 and 30-somethings living in their parents' basement, earning pennies at some "job" like teaching rock wall climbing at a fitness center, playing video games, making TikTok videos, and coasting through life with no ambition or work ethic. On the other hand, the 30-something EV Tech at my dealership told me he has a 4 year Bachelor of Science in Automotive Technology degree from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. So there is hope. My son works in the auto industry for a firm modifying vehicles for physically challenged drivers. They have a tremendously difficult time finding and hiring even the minimum number of Technicians ... and then trying to keep them when they are constantly getting higher offers from another auto business trying to find Techs.

 

[astricklin]

I can tell you when we had our whole house generator put in last September, the non-master electricians in the group couldn't stop bitching, as did the master electrician who should have been fired. The younger guys told me that they were "outta here" once they had what they needed in terms of time.

There's lazy people in every demographic. There's people who do the minimum work possible in every demographic as well.

 

[astricklin]

Don’t know what the majority of trades are going to do. Major shortages coming in North America retired mechanic here of almost 30 years. Long hours, if you’re on the flat rate system, you have no idea what your pay may be at the end of two weeks if the shop isn’t consistently busy. Plus very physical work compared to so many options available today. Just look at the amount of people working from home really no incentive to go into a trade if you can make more money and be at home. And I’m sure for the technicians out there that are salary it’s a bit of a different story. My local Ford dealership always advertising for technicians.

It's hard to live, let alone raise a family when your income is uncertain.

 

[Maryland Lightning]

My back seat passenger window motor failed on my 2023 Lightning. It has been sitting at one of the largest Ford dealerships in the mid-Atlantic region for 4 days now untouched because they only have one EV tech that will touch the Lightnings. They told me it could be another week. Like a previous post said, there is no money in fixing a brand new car that is under warranty. It is worth nothing they had 4 brand new Lightnings for sale at the dealership and said they have been sitting there for 2 months. The demand, volume, and profits are not there yet for any private dealership to invest into these BEV so far.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Why the hell can't they rob Peter to fix Pauls [Brians] truck?
When the part comes in from back order, fix Peters truck (unsold inventory)!

 

[astricklin]

My back seat passenger window motor failed on my 2023 Lightning. It has been sitting at one of the largest Ford dealerships in the mid-Atlantic region for 4 days now untouched because they only have one EV tech that will touch the Lightnings. They told me it could be another week. Like a previous post said, there is no money in fixing a brand new car that is under warranty. It is worth nothing they had 4 brand new Lightnings for sale at the dealership and said they have been sitting there for 2 months. The demand, volume, and profits are not there yet for any private dealership to invest into these BEV so far.

Ask them why the need a BEV tech to change the window motors. Those are the same part used on the normal f-150 using the same doors and same windows. They're not diagnosing anything with the power train.

 

[Toby57]

Ask them why the need a BEV tech to change the window motors. Those are the same part used on the normal f-150 using the same doors and same windows. They're not diagnosing anything with the power train.

Maybe, just a guess mind you, it could be Ford saying no warranty work paid unless work done by ev trained tech. Maybe why some dealers are saying we will sell it to you but we won't service it.

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