Automotive tradespeople are grappling with future work challenges related to connected, autonomous, shared, and electric (CASE) vehicles. Automotive service technicians, auto body and collision technicians, heavy-duty equipment technicians, truck and transport mechanics, and other tradespeople need technical, problem-solving, communication, and other 21st-century digital skills to thrive in response to these trends. But tradespeople face barriers to upskilling, including financial constraints, tech challenges, and age-related tensions.
This issue briefing suggests ways to strengthen apprenticeship training and post-certification upskilling for tradespeople in the Canadian automotive sector:
- Promote augmented and virtual reality training on advanced vehicles.
- Target digital literacy training for older tradespeople.
- Support lifelong learning for tradespeople at small independent garages.
- Integrate client relations into apprenticeship training.
- Develop a knowledge transfer strategy to address CASE technologies.
- Integrate generational considerations into mentorship training.