Mercedes-Benz USA said it has an annual demand for 1,400 technicians, with 50% of its franchised dealerships reporting an urgent or extremely urgent need for technicians.
To make sure franchised dealerships have the technicians they need to maintain a successful service the automaker has launched multifaceted training programs that aim to benefit the automotive industry by providing career readiness to students who aspire to become automotive technicians.
According to a news release distributed on Monday, students can start their journey to become a Mercedes-Benz technician through participation in three national career development programs:
—MB Star Connect
This program is available for vocational and high school technician training and is focused on developing relationships with dealerships to create potential employment opportunities for students. The MB Star Connect program grants high school students access to MB specific automotive curriculum and is a way to raise awareness and interest in the field and the brand.
—MB Campus
This program is available for college, vocational and post-secondary level technician training and gives students the opportunity to complete MB specific automotive training in conjunction with their two-year degree.
This program focuses on providing students with hands-on skill development through access to MB vehicles, tools, and diagnostic equipment while building relationships with local dealerships to create potential internship or employment opportunities for high performing students. This program is the most direct pipeline for local talent a dealership can participate in, with many graduates going straight to work in the sponsoring dealership’s workshop.
—MB Drive
This 17-week program is the one of the most sophisticated technician training programs available today and can turn participants into certified technicians. MB Drive is also easily accessible to veterans as it is one of the first programs by an automobile manufacturer to be approved for the GI Bill benefits in the U.S.
“We’re not only helping our students jumpstart their career, but also are cultivating essential relationships between dealer employers and potential employees,” Mercedes-Benz Academy general manager Lisa Rosenfeld said in the news release.
“Our students leave these programs feeling invigorated after learning innovative Mercedes-Benz technologies and driven towards making a career out of working with some of the most technologically advanced vehicles on the road,” Rosenfield continued.
Despite COVID-19 forcing limitations on in-person instruction and class sizes during the last two years, the OEM said 236 interns and hires came out of the MB Star Connect and MB Campus programs.
Additionally, the automaker said MB Drive secured employment for 234 of its 244 graduates at Mercedes-Benz dealerships, for a remarkable employment rate of 96%.
Mercedes-Benz dealership partners also benefit from these programs with a stronger pipeline of technicians through relationships with educational institutions and local high performing students.
“The collaboration with our partner schools has been extremely helpful in our recruitment efforts,” said Patricia Sames, assistant manager, tech training and development at Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan. “We frequently participate in career days and employer spotlights organized by our partner schools allowing us to engage with potential candidates.
“The close collaboration with partner schools has greatly supported our efforts recruiting new and upcoming talent. As a result, we’ve been able to bring on board several technicians through this collaboration,” Sames added in the news release.
Joseph Lovelady is an MB Drive graduate who now is a technician at MB of Birmingham.
“Graduating from the program here at Mercedes is the biggest accomplishment in my life,” Lovelady said. “You actually work on real cars, with real life situations as if you were at the dealership. I graduated on a Friday and was at work by Monday morning. I already had a stall lined up, a toolbox ready for me to move all my tools into, and immediately got to work.”
For more information about career development at Mercedes-Benz USA, visit this website.
The first half of the year was a busy one for Auction Academy’s largest class in the 10-year history of the training program.
Auction Academy officials recently highlighted Class Group 7 includes 30 students from 17 states, representing a variety of disciples within the automotive industry, including auction operations, floorplan and finance, technology and remarketing.
“This new Class Group is our largest and most diverse Class Group to date, and, following the opening session last fall in Nashville, we’re well into an exciting and comprehensive curriculum,” Auction Academy president Penny Wanna said.
“Now in our 10th year, we’re excited to see so many graduates of Auction Academy assuming leadership roles in the industry and, in turn, sharing their knowledge and experience by leading classroom and training sessions,” Wanna continued.
Auction Academy has completed the first half of 2022 with its newest Class Group meeting together in a virtual classroom setting as well as in-person to pursue the academy’s in-depth training curriculum.
The first quarter included a visit in February to Louisiana’s 1st Choice Auto Auction, a first-time host for the program and purchased by EBlock in June, where the students observed auction operations at one of the country’s leading facilities.
The Academy’s visit coincided with the auction’s largest promotion of the year, the Rockin’ Mardi Gras Sale, and the group spent some time learning about the Louisiana concept of Lagniappe, which has been the cornerstone of the service offered at the auction over the past 20 years of its operation.
Training included a session with Joe Miller of AutoIMS and Glenda Gudiel of Auction Edge, as well as David Walsh of Training Services, who spoke on eRevolutionary leadership skills, leveraging people, process and product to achieve goals.
Presentations also were made by several members of the LAFCAA Staff: Who Owns Your Customers by John Poteet, Ecommerce by Andy Poteet, and Auction Training with Matt Alombro (Both are Auction Academy alums).
In May, Auction Academy met together in Dallas, opening with chief executive Pierre Pons speaking on leadership secrets of Attila the Hun, and making a presentation titled, “Where Do Cars Come From?”
Other training sessions were led by number of industry experts, including Scott Mousaw of United Auto Credit, Brent Huisman of Exeter Finance, Doug Evans of Hyundai Capital America, Mark Lindenmuth of Caprock Auto Remarketing and Casey Hughes of Toyota Financial Services.
The following day, Class Group 7 visited Metro Auto Auction – Dallas, where they were hosted by general manager Scott Stalder, controller Rob Gorman (an Academy alum), fleet/lease manager Joshua Mooney and Bill Westlake, who is director of national accounts.
The Dallas session concluded with a field trip to the Union Pacific Railroad facility in Mesquite, Texas, where the Class Group saw first-hand how vehicles are transported and unloaded from rail cars. The field trip was coordinated with the help of Jeff Grandstaff of Gold Star Resources.
Wanna noted that Auction Academy’s in-person sessions during the first two quarters of the year alternated with three virtual classroom meetings.
In January, the group met online for a session on digital sales, in April for a presentation on safety, security, and compliance with Privacy4Cars, and in June for a discussion on electric vehicles and how auctions can and should prepare.
Auction Academy then convened in Spokane, Wash., on July 18, for three days of training that included DAA Northwest’s premier industry promotion, the 27th annual Rock ‘n Roll Sale, which culminated in a concert by Sammy Hagar.
The session began with a presentation by Len Roll of DAA Northwest, one of the industry’s top professionals in auction operations, who covered detailing, body shop services and condition reports.
He was followed by Mitzi Van Voorhis, the McConkey Auction Group’s VP of marketing (an Academy Alum) and Kaylen Bucher, marketing manager at DAANW and a current Class 7 student, who described the McConkey Group’s philosophy and process for its nationally recognized promotions in print and digital media.
Completing the morning’s session was the McConkey Auction Group’s VP of human resources, Ashleigh Mathews, also an alum of Auction Academy, who discussed a topic that personally impacts most Auction Academy students as they assume leadership roles: making a seamless transition from coworker to boss with respect to all.
The Class was then met by two more graduates of Auction Academy — DAA Northwest general manager Collin McConkey and MAG COO Dave Pendergraft — for a tour of the DAA Northwest facilities.
Back in the classroom, the group heard presentations by Sandy Moon of NextGear Capital and Dan Diedrich of Auction Edge. The day ended with a barbecue at the home of Bob and Sandy McConkey, which was attended by a number of industry executives as well as the Auction Academy students.
A second full day of classes and auction observations at DAA Northwest began with IARA CAR Certification Testing. After watching the kick-off sale in the auction lanes at DAA Northwest, the group returned to the classroom, where they heard from Wanna, Academy alum Ben Caffee — AVP digital service at Manheim Express, and Shann Ferch of Gonzaga University.
Then, the group joined auction customers and remarketers from across the country for the main event, the Rock & Roll Concert opened by The Cronkites and followed by headliner Sammy Hagar.
Later this year, the Auction Academy will meet in Baltimore for a full day of NADA training, focusing on the auction process through the dealer’s eyes.
The Nichols family will host the Academy for day two at Bel Air Auto Auction, where classes will be held in the auction lane. Dr. Brittany Boone, an Auction Academy favorite, returns to speak on Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion. The group will also hear presentations from Smart Auction, DealShield, the Holman Group and members of the staff at Bel Air Auto Auction.
Auction Academy is a continuing education program developed by TPC Management Co., (TPC) for professionals in the auto auction industry. Auction Academy’s two-year program provides a training and development experience for auto auction professionals, structured like an Executive MBA program.
With faculty drawn from expert practitioners around the country, Auction Academy’s programs are designed to enhance essential skill sets, promote best practices and yield better auction performance. The curriculum includes site visits, field trips, technical certifications and work with industry experts in all areas of auto auction operations.
For additional information about Auction Academy, contact Wanna at (615) 591-4544 or [email protected]. Or visit the website at www.auctionacademy.net.
Quantum5 reinforced its executive management team on Monday.
The company that offers a platform designed "to transform dealership training and bridge the gap between the traditional and digital customer" announced the hiring of Blair King as its new vice president of marketing and Matt Montgomery as its vice president of accounting and finance.
King, who previously was that brand manager and director of marketing for CallRevu, a call monitoring and phone skills training company, brings more than a decade of SaaS automotive experience.
Most recently, King served as director of marketing for ZipDeal, a start-up company designed to streamline the vehicle-buying experience. In her new role as vice president of marketing for Quantum5, the company said King will oversee the development of the company’s marketing strategy for new and existing products, as well as the implementation of its marketing and brand strategy through campaigns, digital marketing, graphics, trade shows and public relations.
“I’ve listened to tens of thousands of inbound calls for dealerships. I know firsthand the pain points felt by both dealers and consumers. From those conversations, I also learned that the secret to dealership success is effective, unique and sustainable training,” King said in a news release. “And that’s what attracted me to Quantum5 and its advanced learning platform.
“I am truly thrilled to be a part of their executive management team and to help dealers thrive with our training solution. Simply put, I couldn’t envision a better fit for my skillset and mindset,” King continued.
Quantum5 highlighted that Montgomery brings with him nearly 25 years of experience as an accounting professional. Montgomery previously worked for more than a decade at Sharp Electronics Corp., where he ultimately served as controller for the Arizona and New Mexico markets, focusing on office products sales and service, professional displays and IT services.
For Quantum5, the company said Montgomery will oversee all financial aspects of the its business and will be instrumental in helping to manage its growth, bottom-line and finances.
“As a strong personal advocate of employee development, I am pleased to be part of the Quantum5 executive management team,” Montgomery said in the news release. “I completely agree with the company’s overall mission of providing meaningful, data-driven training for dealership employees.
“I especially look forward to working alongside other members of the management team as we continue to change the concept of training,” he added.
Unlike other training programs, Quantum5 looks to blend the power of in-person skills training with backend technology that includes artificial intelligence learning, gamification and community building to create ongoing proficiency in learners.
As sales and service teams work their way through the different levels of the app, Quantum5 explained that they become better at determining needs and motivations of buyers, delivering value and handling objections.
Quantum5 chief executive officer and co-founder David O’Brien noted how the new executives will help the company provider its clients with skills to increase both sales and upsell service opportunities, bridging the gap between traditional and digital retail customers.
“The market response to our relationship-based learning process has been overwhelmingly positive and, as a result, we’re rapidly growing market share,” O’Brien said. “What we love about bringing Blair and Matt on-board is that they both truly understand the enormous value of advanced learning. They get it.”
For more information about Quantum5, visit www.quantum5.ai.
This week, NVI Institute Blairsville, NAPA Auto Parts and Universal Technical Institute all announced their latest efforts to help auctions, dealerships and other vehicle repair operations that are all in great need of trained technicians.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand remains strong for skilled technicians nationally, with the estimation there are approximately 110,000 total new openings each year for automotive, diesel, and collision repair technicians nationally through 2030, including net employment changes and net replacements.
In response, NVI Institute Blairsville is launching what it called “innovative, accelerated” programs in auto and diesel technology to get technicians on the job more quickly and to address critical shortages of skilled workers.
NVI Blairsville’s first six-month sessions for aspiring auto and diesel technicians begin Jan. 3.
By focusing on the essential skills sought by employers, NVI said it can cut students’ expenses and the time it takes to start work.
“A student in the program here at NVI is going to be put through the diesel or auto technology course in six months and be ready to hit the ground running,” said Adam Duplin, diesel program coordinator at the training location in southwest Pennsylvania. “In developing the school, we worked with teams of employers who told us exactly what they are looking for in a program.”
As mentioned, demand for auto and diesel technicians is high. At the same time, NVI pointed out that technician salaries now rival or surpass those of some graduates of four-year colleges and universities.
The goal for NVI is to help employers address shortages in skilled workers while helping students position themselves to take well-paying jobs in long-term careers with major automotive, truck, and heavy equipment suppliers and dealers.
“You can walk out of high school, graduate in June from high school, start here in July and be done by December and be working in January in the field,” NVI automotive program coordinator Jack Fetsko said in a news release. “Every repair or manufacturing facility right now is looking for technicians. You can make a really good living at it.”
NVI bought the now-remodeled and updated former WyoTech Blairsville campus. The company said it employs “proven, industry experienced instructors well acquainted with the hallmark industries that will be served by NVI graduates.”
NVI insisted that its instructors go well beyond a core education, also teaching “soft” skills that help people function well in a workplace, at home and in their communities.
“Our instructors are equipped to give students the necessary soft skills to deal with an employer or an angry customer, and how to prepare a resume, for example,” Duplin said.
NVI is actively seeking students who are in high school, considering a career change, not interested in a traditional college education, or completing military service.
NAPA Auto Parts & Universal Technical Institute form new strategic alliance
In other training news, Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and NAPA Auto Parts (NAPA) said they have joined forces to support the future of those seeking careers in the transportation and aftermarket auto repair industries.
NAPA has become the preferred UTI auto parts supplier, which includes its NAPA Autotech training program that will be available to faculty.
NAPA said through a news release that it will supply essential parts for hands-on labs, including brake kits, rotors, bulbs, bearing kits, wheel weights and more. The initial stage of the partnership will impact UTI, MMI and NTI-branded campuses and may be expanded to MIAT-branded campuses in the future.
With this partnership, UTI and NAPA aim to help meet this demand by providing access to the necessary supplies for on campus training and connections with NAPA customers.
“We are thrilled to bring in a partner like NAPA Auto Parts to provide our students, staff and alumni with greater access to quality auto parts through one of the country’s premier providers,” UTI chief executive officer Jerome Grant said in the news release.
“Like UTI, NAPA has a passion for educating and supporting individuals as they enter into a career path in the transportation industry,” Grant continued. “NAPA has worked closely with UTI for years, and we know they will be an active and engaged partner.”
NAPA president Kevin Herron added, “We admire UTI’s commitment to providing state-of-the-industry training to the next generation of skilled automotive technicians.
“We are proud to support the industry by providing training and supplying quality automotive parts to the talented UTI staff, students and graduates,” Herron went on to say.
Orbee Auto's long-standing relationship with the National Association of Minority Auto Dealers resulted in another potential benefit for store principals and their staff.
On Friday, the marketing cloud company designed exclusively for dealerships announced a partnership with the association to provide digital marketing courses virtually and free of charge to its members.
Leading these courses will be Daniel Kim, chief executive officer and co-founder of Orbee Auto. The firm highlighted the 10-week educational series is now underway and is aimed at advancing digital marketing capabilities for employees of minority-owned dealerships.
Orbee Auto explained the focus of this training program is based on understanding the shoppers that land on a dealership’s website. The firm said attendees will gain a better understanding of how to source traffic through SEO, Facebook and other crucial online channels.
Additionally, the firm noted dealers will learn how to properly interpret digital marketing analytics. Furthermore, through a segment on marketing automation, the course reinforces understanding and knowing how to best target shoppers.
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to team up with NAMAD and lead this digital marketing course for minority dealerships,” Kim said in a news release.
“As co-founder of a minority-owned company myself, I wanted to be able to help these dealerships find new ways to succeed. With digital marketing being such a prominent aspect in running a successful business today, it was a no brainer for me to partake in this training course,” Kim continued.
Orbee Auto went on to emphasize the purpose of this program is to create the next generation of digital marketing savvy dealership employees and operators.
Upon completion of the program, the firm said participants will:
— Become knowledgeable in improving the ROI of their digital marketing spend
— Know how to make advertising budget decisions based on data and properly manage existing digital marketing vendors to correlate with the dealership's business objectives
— Learn how to create personalized experiences for online shoppers that drive vehicle sales and identify high-intent online shoppers.
“With how fast digital transformation is always evolving, it’s challenging for many dealerships to implement new technologies and services that effectively adapt to the ever-changing needs and demands of their customers. This is particularly the case with online digital retailing, which became almost mandatory for all dealerships large and small during the height of the COVID pandemic,” NAMAD president Damon Lester said.
“I believe that our collaboration with Orbee Auto as a leading martech company, in hosting this training, benefits our NAMAD members greatly by allowing them to dive deeper into digital marketing and challenges them to apply these learnings to their own dealerships,” Lester said.
Dealership personnel who already completed some of the coursework provided this feedback to Orbee Auto:
“So far (this course) has enlightened me on pertinent digital terminology and has given me insight on what is important to focus on for digital ROI,” said Daylyn Turner, who is general manager of JK Subaru.
“This is a phenomenal partnership between Orbee and NAMAD. One of the wonderful benefits of being part of such a strong association like NAMAD,” said Andrea Zadd, vice president of Crestmont Auto Group.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience thus far, and I’m looking forward to learning more,” said Martin Staten, director of digital marketing at Genesis Automotive Group.
NAMAD and Orbee Auto chief revenue officer Peter Fong have a long-standing relationship that began when Fong was the dealer franchising manager for Ford.
At the time, Fong was the liaison between the Ford Motor Minority Dealer Association and NAMAD.
Orbee Auto is a predominately minority company with more than 60% of its employees represented by people of color and more than 30% women, which the firm said can facilitate the understanding of being minorities within the automotive industry.
Throughout the course, Orbee Auto noted that feedback is requested to alter the lessons for students to receive the best possible educational experience.
According to NAMAD’s website, only 6% of American dealerships are minority-owned. The firms said this opportunity provided by Orbee and NAMAD presents participants with the ability to propel and advance in the digital marketing landscape.
“Orbee Auto and NAMAD will both work with minorities to defeat this curve and bring together minorities to become savvy in the modern world of automotive digital marketing,” the firms said.
To qualify for this training, participants must be a current member of NAMAD. To learn more, send a message to [email protected].
The coronavirus pandemic is preventing numerous in-person business meetings and other gatherings. But JM&A Group is still trying to keep its dealers and other clients informed about company developments and other industry trends that might have been shared across boardroom tables or in small get-togethers.
In an effort to further engage automotive professionals and provide valuable content, the firm recently launched JM&A Insider — its own, on-demand collection of automotive resources. This website gives members access to JM&A Group's growing library of free, informative content.
JM&A Group said membership is free and required to register for virtual events.
The company explained JM&A Group Insiders will be invited to view and download information from industry experts at any time through the company’s new online platform. Content will include blog posts, playbooks on dealership growth and profitability and short video tutorials on a variety of topics, including F&I, fixed operations, training and sales and marketing.
“Our goal is to be a trusted resource and partner to the greater automotive community,” said Scott Gunnell, group vice president of business strategy and operational excellence.
“JM&A Insider will continue to grow and evolve as we collaborate with our vast network of industry leaders to add new, prescriptive content and adapt to the needs of our existing members,” Gunnell continued in a news release.
In addition, the company mentioned the complimentary platform will host JM&A Insider Live Office Hours events hosted by leaders from various company divisions, giving members the opportunity to engage with subject matter experts and receive personalized advice for their queries.
JM&A Group highlighted timely automotive industry topics will include Virtual F&I, dealership talent solutions, fixed operations, team development and more.
For more information and to register to become a JM&A Group Insider, visit https://info.jmagroup.com/jma-insider.
Along with finalizing its lineup of keynote speakers for NADA Show 2020, the National Automobile Dealers Association is making its award-winning educational training programs more readily accessible to members and their staffs.
NADA said its training offers, such as the Professional Series classes and Academy seminars, are now available to all dealership employees through the new Education Subscription program.
“The subscription to NADA’s educational training programs is a powerful tool for providing continuous training and development to dealership employees at a low-cost monthly subscription,” said NADA chairman Charlie Gilchrist, a multi-franchise dealer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.
The subscription can be secured here.
NADA and Reflection Software recently won a gold award from the Brandon Hall Group for excellence in the category of Best Use of Video for Learning.
The award-winning training video module, “Finding Meaning Behind the Words: How Video Scenarios Brought the DISC Model to Life for Dealerships,” is part of NADA’s Professional Series course in Leadership, which centered on teaching how to effectively utilize the DISC Behavioral Model when interacting with colleagues and customers.
Reflection Software, which offers custom-built training and career development products, created the video module to supplement NADA’s instructor-led training classes.
“We are developing industry-leading curriculum for our members, and it’s satisfying when it is recognized beyond the auto industry by an organization as established as the Brandon Hall Group,” NADA executive vice president and chief operating officer Mike Stanton said in a news release.
NADA and Reflection Software worked together to develop the video module, which included real-life video scenarios with interactive decision points to enhance the learning experience through observation and action. The video scenarios created for the module were designed to be authentic to the dealership setting.
Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards Program has recognized leading organizations during the past 20 years for the latest trends in Human Capital Management, according to Rachel Cooke, Brandon Hall Group COO and leader of the HCM Excellence Awards Program.
“The initiatives that were honored are not only innovative but fit the unique needs of the business and create truly remarkable success stories,” Cooke said.
Brandon Hall Group is an HCM research and advisory services firm that provides insights on key performance areas, including learning and development, HR/workforce management, leadership development and more.
Award entries, which were evaluated by a panel of independent industry experts and Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives, were based on the following criteria:
— Fit the need
— Design of the program
— Functionality
— Innovation
— Overall measurable benefits
Lineup for NADA Show 2020
Each year, the NADA Show brings world-renowned speakers and industry experts to its four-day event to share insights on topics that will help drive dealerships into the future. The keynote speakers for NADA Show 2020 include David Cameron, former prime minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016, and Mary Barra, chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors.
Gilchrist, the 2019 NADA chairman, and Rhett Ricart, 2019 NADA vice chairman, will share their perspectives on the auto industry. Kathleen Madigan, voted best female stand-up at the American Comedy Awards, will offer comedic relief.
NADA’s annual show returns to Las Vegas for Valentine’s Day weekend from Feb. 14-17.
Attendee registration for the show is open here. The early-bird registration discount ends Sept. 13. NADA said the popular hotels are selling out.
