Report: Auto, Diesel Technicians Still Needed, but Interest Increasing

TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to professional technician career exploration and workforce development, recently presented its 2024 Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report. The annual report highlights employment and post-secondary completion trends within four sectors—automotive, collision, diesel and aviation—while offering a five-year outlook for demand of new technicians entering the profession.

The report underscores growing interest in trade careers, noting that, for the second year in a row, the number of post-secondary graduates in all four sectors has increased. Additionally, the cumulative number of employees across all sectors has grown by 2.8% year-over-year, signaling steady progress in filling the jobs pipeline and outpacing the overall U.S. labor force growth rate of 2.0%.

However, the report highlights areas of critical concern—in particular, the diesel sector, where growth has averaged just 1.04% annually over the past five years. In the diesel, automotive and collision sectors, employee replacement needs outpace workforce growth at a rate of more than 4-to-1.

“As an organization that—together with our donors and partners—works to correct the imbalance between technician supply and demand, it is encouraging to see continued growth in the number of graduates preparing to step into technician careers,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “Through our innovative programming, TechForce is focused on elevating the role of technicians in society and communicating the many benefits of this career path, including competitive salaries, job stability and high placement rates. The report demonstrates that our efforts are making a difference, but also highlights the critical need to further strengthen the pipeline by supporting entry-level technicians through scholarships and workforce development programs, ensuring the demand for talent is met.”

Over the next five years, nearly 1 million new-entry transportation technicians will be needed across all four sectors, according to the report. This demand is primarily driven by the need to replace retiring or transitioning technicians, with less than 25% of the need stemming from growth in the automotive, collision and diesel sectors.

These sectors are particularly affected by the economic trend of owners keeping vehicles longer, further amplifying the need for skilled technicians who can maintain and service aging fleets and personal vehicles.

“This year’s Supply & Demand Report shows that progress is being made in filling the jobs pipeline, but also demonstrates a bottleneck in workforce development,” said Greg Settle, the report’s author and director emeritus at TechForce Foundation. “Closing the gap between technician demand and supply requires an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach, with collaboration among industries, policymakers and educators at every level. The reality is that, if we don’t address this problem now, it will ultimately affect businesses and consumers directly through increased costs, service delays and potential safety risks.”

To spark workforce development, TechForce Foundation offers programming to encourage middle and high school students, veterans and others to explore and consider a technician career and accompanies them along their journey to career success. The program connects potential students and working techs to schools, scholarships and grants, and eventually helps place them in apprenticeships while offering job-seeking assistance.

Since 2007, TechForce has awarded more than $24 million in scholarships and grants to financially disadvantaged students, helping to put them on the path towards achieving rewarding careers as technicians.