Address Diesel Technician Shortage by Improving Image of Profession

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Address Diesel Technician Shortage by Improving
Image of Profession
(1888PressRelease) In a guest blog on the
AmeriQuest Transportation Services Website,
NationaLease's Andy Stopka says the trucking
industry needs to better educate young people
about the rewards of becoming a diesel technician
and salute the profession in order to increase
recruitment. CHERRY HILL, NJ - The best way for
the transportation industry to attract new
candidates for the profession of diesel
technician is by educating the young about the
realities and rewards of the job, said Andy
Stopka, Vice President of Maintenance for
NationaLease, one of the largest full service
truck leasing organizations in North America. "We
as an industry need to make a better effort
saluting excellence within the profession as a
way of improving its image in the general
public," he noted in a guest blog posting on the
AmeriQuest Transportation Services Website. He
pointed to a report by the Harvard Graduate
School of Education that today's "college for
all" mentality can keep students from other
viable career paths as they entered adulthood.
Rather than taking on crushing debt and leaving
college with few marketable skills, more high
school graduates should look for other paths that
have real currency in today's labor market, such
as becoming a diesel technician. Stopka hails
programs like the ATA's Technology and
Maintenance Council's annual SuperTech national
skills competition that applauds the knowledge
and hands-on skills required by leading
maintenance professionals. He also pointed to
NationaLease's Top Tech Challenge, now entering
its third year, which identifies and honors the
most proficient NationaLease technicians. Those
winners go on to compete in SuperTech.
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"We in the truck maintenance industry are
convinced that more young people would pursue the
career of diesel technician if they knew more
about the demand for the candidates, the job
satisfaction, and even the financial rewards and
other benefits that come with it," Stopka said in
his blog. "It comes to down to we as industry
providing effective education of young people who
have the aptitude and ability to move forward.
One of the best ways of doing it is improving the
image of this profession." To read more about
the realities of the profession, including
current salaries, go to the AmeriQuest Website to
view the entire blog at http//blog.ameriquestcorp
.com/?p713. About NationaLease Founded in 1944,
NationaLease is the largest full service truck
leasing organization in North America, with over
600 service locations throughout the U.S. and
Canada and a combined customer fleet of over
125,000 tractors, trucks, and trailers. The
company provides comprehensive fleet management
services for private fleets and transportation
service providers. More information can be found
at http//www.nationalease.com.