Connecting with youngsters today enhances aftermarket recruitment opportunities tomorrow

Nov. 16, 2017
Bearing the motto of “building futures by building cars,” the non-profit entity entails ambitious vintage-vehicle restorations and customizations conducted by elementary- to high-school-aged youths.

Filling staffing gaps remains an ongoing challenge throughout the aftermarket as so many valued employees reach retirement age amid a shortage of trained workers entering the industry. Seeking solutions to oft-heard laments along the lines of “today’s young people don’t want to get their hands dirty,” a growing array of forward-thinkers are reaching out to children while they are still in their formative years with the goal of inducing an early and hopefully long-lasting desire to pursue an automotive career.

In cooperation with California’s Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club, Aaron Valencia is serving at-risk inner-city youngsters with his Los Angeles-based Lost Angels Children’s Project. Bearing the motto of “building futures by building cars,” the non-profit entity entails ambitious vintage-vehicle restorations and customizations conducted by elementary- to high-school-aged youths.

“We try to be a self-funding organization, but we also need help,” says Valencia, honored in September as a “CNN Hero” in a worldwide broadcast documentary. “We have an influx of students, but not financial support. It’s a constant struggle to hit the pavement and keep this place going: We’re always looking for components, tools, welding materials, sandpaper, wires for electrical work” and other supplies.

Coker Tire, Vintage Air, Matrix System Automotive Finishes, Mar-K Manufacturing, AV Auto Paint, Edelbrock, LMC Truck and Jay Leno are among the current roster of sponsors, and Valencia points out that industry involvement in these types of boys and girls educational programs is crucial for furthering the prospects of the aftermarket to adequately staff their businesses with skilled employees.

“If there isn’t an infusion of interest these companies are going to go out of business,” he warns. “It goes hand-in-hand. It’s keeping it alive.”

“It’s a safe place to learn problem-solving,” Valencia tells Aftermarket Business World. “We haven’t had anyone in our classes who knew what they were doing when they arrived; that’s where we start.”

In addition to teaching attributes such as commitment, coping with life’s stresses, communication, teamwork and punctuality, the students – grouped in after-school classes of 15 apiece – gain a thorough knowledge of mechanical and electrical systems, bodywork and custom painting, artwork and marketing (funds are raised by selling apparel, posters and other branded merchandise), sourcing hard-to-find parts, and how to present an overall sense of professionalism and competence for when they grow into adults, regardless of what occupation they ultimately choose.

About 100 youngsters have come through the program since it was established by Valencia in 2015, and several have gone on to enroll in automotive vocational schools, welding classes or other solid trades. Valencia, who came from a troubled background himself before finding a different path and becoming clean and sober, has informally consulted with community organizers in California’s Bay Area and Reno, Nev. in setting up similar programs, and he invites others to seek his advice for initiating independent outlets in other locations. “There are a lot of people out there who can learn from this.”

Lost Angels’ charity builds have included a1936 Ford Coupe, a 1951 Cadillac Coupe De Ville and a 1958 Chevrolet Apache Fleetside pickup. Each Labor Day weekend the completed projects are raffled off at the Ventura Nationals Custom Car & Motorcycle Show.

Cultivating STEM skills

This concept of reaching out to children below the age of when young people typically begin the process of considering career choices is being carried beyond the hands-on aspects of wrench-twisting repairs, bodywork and parts procurement expertise, as evidenced by an expanding movement aimed at motivating interest in achieving STEM skills.

When applied to the automotive industry this type of advanced knowledge is needed not only for fixing existing sophisticated vehicle electronics and engineering present and future self-driving technologies, but also for attracting and training workers with the ability to build and maintain an ever-increasing amount of robotic technologies being implemented on the factory floors of manufacturing plants.

These types of educational endeavors are creating an “interactive learning experience that uses cutting-edge topics from the real world to get youth excited about science, technology, engineering and mathematics – STEM,” according to Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of the National 4-H Council.

Although the organization of 7 million-plus children and young adults, active in every American county and parish along with more than 50 other nations, may be still be perceived by some as being associated more with cows instead of cars, and tractors rather than tech, Sirangelo reports that “through our 4-H programs and curriculum we aim to bring STEM concepts to life in a way that is fun – engaging youth in hands-on, interactive projects that can bring the textbook concepts to life.”

Developing leadership qualities is another important element of 4-H, as is encouraging gender equality within the next generation of those entering the business world.

“When I was young, I remember hearing from a classmate, ‘STEM isn’t for girls,” recalls Ava Lonneman, 17, winner of this year’s 4-H Youth in Action Pillar Award for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. “But even from an early age, I knew that STEM was my passion. My goal is to help other young people – and especially other girls – realize that STEM is fun, and that success is within your reach. Through STEM and 4-H, I’ve seen an incredible improvement in the confidence, leadership skills and sense of community of the teen STEM leaders in my after-school Makers Club.”

Annually held each autumn in culmination of a year-long learning project involving thousands of members, 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) is the world’s largest youth-led science experiment. “For many kids, this experiential approach to learning ignites an interest in STEM topics that can quickly grow into a passion,” says Sirangelo. “Facilitating this progression – from interest to sustained passion – is what 4-H STEM is all about.”

The 2017 NYSD mass experiment was “Incredible Wearables,” in which participants were tasked to blend design principles with circuitry and sensors to create a wrist-worn personal health data monitor.

At first glance the project may not seem to be directly related to automotive innovations, but the learning it entails, combined with the vast presence of 4-H groups throughout the country, highlights the fertile recruiting field available for aftermarket businesses seeking employees equipped with the requisite skills needed to meet heightened knowledge levels.

This can be particularly helpful in reducing the trend of young people leaving rural regions and smaller towns in favor of migrating to large cities – a critical factor in obtaining quality workers, especially if your local operation is more apt to attract new employees from a place with a name like Sweetcorn Valley rather than Silicon Valley to fill positions requiring sophisticated technical skills.

In August, for example, chemical producer Bayer and 4-H announced a nationwide collaboration called Science Matters to underscore the value of learning STEM skills in a program expected to involve more than 25,000 4-H members. It aspires to “grow tomorrow’s innovators today and fill the critical pipeline of future STEM leaders – not only for agriculture, which is increasingly technologically driven, but for all STEM-related fields,” according to Ray Kerins, Bayer’s senior vice president of corporate affairs and a former 4-H’er himself.

“In 4-H, we believe in the power of young people, and we are thrilled to join with a company like Bayer that also sees the potential when you equip youth with the skills and opportunities they need to be true leaders,” says Artis Stevens, 4-H’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “Science Matters will extend the reach of our hands-on STEM programming, which is proven to grow 4-H’ers who are two times more likely than others to enter STEM careers.”

“With impact numbers that are second to none,” says Sirangelo, “4-H has been the best-kept secret for far too long.”

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