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When I was a senior in high school and ready to get out of the house, my father said that going to college was the best and only way to find success. I looked at what he had achieved from his college training and I felt a bit confused; though I went to the University of Toledo to make him happy, I soon realized this pathway wasn’t helping with my immediate concerns.
My story was pretty simple. “I was broke, my car was broke,” and I knew I needed to find a different pathway. I transferred to Owens Community College, earned an associates degree in auto technology and began a career in this industry—over 20 years as a technician, six as an adjunct instructor and, for the past fourteen years, teaching at the Career Technology Center at Fort Osage.
In this chapter of my career I feel I have really found a place to give back to the industry that has provided so many opportunities for myself. I also enjoy educating, guiding and mentoring students in any way I can to help Gen Z find its way. I realized early that the basic concerns they have today are similar to the concerns I had when I was young, but there is more—I realized that most of my students have no idea what to do after they graduate, and they don’t realize this is normal. I make time to listen to their worries, help them set goals and observe their progress while making adjustments along the way.
Besides the obvious technical skill development, much of our time is spent working on developing life skills. In our program we train our students in leadership skill development, life skills and work-ethic. With active classroom and lab activities, this helps engage students and bring relevance to all our training. Some other program activities include resume development, drafting cover letters, earning certifications, portfolio creation and industry interviews all in hopes of preparing them for life after high school and our program. We have found the more we involve members of this industry with our program, the more it directly impacts the success of our students.
I was told when I started teaching that a successful program was basically measured by test scores and placement. We have never struggled with our ASE Student Test scores nor our department of elementary and secondary education (DESE) placement, but when I looked at the positive placement data (the number of graduates that find auto industry employment), I was concerned and I knew our advisory committee would be too. So, you may wonder, how is our placement of graduates entering in the automotive industry falling within the “transportation” umbrella? The data showed a steady decline to just 30 percent of graduates entering the transportation field. When I shared this trend at last spring’s meeting, it led to some great discussion. We talked about the need for a bridge for this generation to consider a career path in this field. The technician shortage is not a new concern—it’s one that I heard when I started in this field and we all agree that we are still addressing this today, with no one clear answer.
So, I cast a challenge to everyone in this industry—find a program and get involved. There are high school and college programs in communities all around America. These programs are the front line to help address industry needs and demands. They have the opportunity to reach young elementary students and adults. But we are desperately in need of industry help and support. I believe we can help make this exciting industry more viable, more relevant and more visible. Most importantly, let’s remember, it’s their future—not ours—so let’s help them find their way, together.
Bill Lieb has been an instructor at the Career Technology Center at Fort Osage in Independence, Mo., for over 14 years.