If you’ve been thinking of entering into an auto industry career, you might want to consider becoming an auto body technician. The auto industry has undergone many changes over the past couple of decades, contributing to a lack of qualified professionals entering the field for a variety of reasons. Additionally, there’s a general lack of attraction to technical careers, as societal pressures increasingly favour four-year colleges. However, the status of auto body repair work in Canada appears to be generally healthy.
There will always be a need for professionals who can service cars that have suffered dents, cracks, or even more extensive damage following a collision, and an education in how to do this type of work is one worth pursuing. Here’s why auto body technicians are still necessary for the auto industry.
This Career’s Outlook, Explained for Students in Auto Body Training
The auto industry is attempting to work against a number of factors: the shift away from manual labour jobs, a steady increase in vehicles owned and people driving them, and an increase in technology in the vehicles being manufactured. A shortage of workers in various automotive professions poses some serious challenges. Students in British Columbia doing their auto body training should know that there are 1,300 projected job openings in motor vehicle body repairs expected by 2029, with a 1% expected growth rate happening by 2024. About 70% of these openings are forecasted to be due to retiring employees needing to be replaced, though industry sources claim that an insufficient number of prospective employees are available to fill that void. A college that can impart students with the knowledge needed for a career in auto body repair is key for this industry.
Pressure to Attend Four-Year Universities Is Affecting the Auto Industry
One of the challenges facing the auto industry is the growing normalization of choosing the path of traditional universities instead of technical schools or career colleges, thereby avoiding jobs that may require manual labour. Because of this, many young people who might have thrived in a more specialized environment are missing out on opportunities they could have had by getting an earlier start within the auto industry. This type of pressure can limit the pool of prospective employees for auto body repairs should this trend continue in the coming years. What many undecided professionals might not know about the auto industry is that it has evolved greatly in the past 10 to 15 years, and there are many lucrative and exciting opportunities for advancement and specialization within the industry.
Specialized Technological Knowledge Is Key for Auto Body Technicians
Those hoping to pursue auto careers, especially as an auto body technician, should recognize the impact that technological advancements are having on the industry. Such advancements are creating different needs in this line of work, leading to increasing demand for more advanced skills. Vehicles have become more computerized, and the jobs of automotive workers have grown increasingly complex.
Further technological advancements with auto body materials could generate increased interest in this type of career. An important skill for any aspiring auto body technician to have is the specialized technological knowledge necessary to understand how to repair a vehicle’s body parts, or construct new ones entirely, with these advancements in mind.
Are you interested in a career in auto body repair?
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