North Bay faces too few auto mechanics as service times rise

Driven by a shortage of mechanics, waits to get your car serviced are getting longer.

The California New Car Dealers Association released a report in late March that on average, each of the nearly 1,400 dealerships in the state each need an additional four mechanics. Dealerships on average employ 22 service technicians.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there were 733,200 auto mechanics in 2021, with job growth through 2031 expected to be 1% or only about 10,600 new jobs.

“Despite limited employment growth, about 73,300 openings for automotive service technicians and mechanics are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire,” the BLS website states.

North Bay dealerships say the lack of mechanics isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon, but one that is getting worse.

One of the reasons why is fewer people are entering the profession as longtime workers are hanging up their wrenches.

“It is hard work. It is not easy. It’s cold, it’s hot, you are busting your knuckles and it’s not a super high paying job, especially to start with,” James Humpheries, service manager at Silveira Chevrolet in Sonoma, told the Journal.

He has 11 mechanics and could use at least three more.

Humpheries laments the demise of the high school auto shop class.

“They are not getting the experience to find out if auto shop is something they would be interested in at a young age,” Humpheries said of teenagers.

The California Automotive Teachers website does not list any high school programs in the North Bay.

Possible solutions

Bright spots are the automotive technology programs at Solano Community College Vallejo Center and College of Marin’s Indian Valley Campus in Novato.

Last semester 22 students graduated from the Solano County program. Another 200 are currently enrolled, with a wait list to get into classes. Certificate and associate degrees are offered.

Students learn in a 30,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. When they leave they know how work on every type of engine that exists.

“We get hit about every other day with an employer looking for technicians,” Rick Marshall, professor of automotive technologies, said. “It’s good for students.”

Marshall said about 95% of the students want a job in the auto industry, while the others are there for personal knowledge.

Marshall said most students have never worked on a vehicle before taking one of his classes. He, too, wishes auto shop was still part of high school curriculums.

“We got disconnected with what is important. We need all types of jobs to keep the country functioning,” Marshall said.

The Marin County program is about 75% full, but never had to shut down during the pandemic. Students were sent home with equipment to work on their own vehicles, with classroom instruction via the internet.

College of Marin issues about 30 certificates a year for auto technician, collision repair or electronics. Ron Palmer, automotive instructor and chair of the Career Education Department, said any student who wants a job in the auto world gets one after going through his two-year program.

Palmer said enrollment has been steady, but said the problem is more mechanics are retiring compared to those who are getting trained.

Keeping engines running

Many of the service departments in the North Bay are also critical of the push for young people to seek a college degree that could lead to a job in the technology sector without considering any of the trades for a career.

“(People) think every kid wants to be in high tech and that isn’t true,” Kevin Massie, president and owner of Napa Ford Lincoln, said.

Newer vehicles, even ones with combustion engines, have a ton of technology in them that requires more knowledge and a different skill set than vehicles from the last century.

Then there are electric vehicles, which come with almost an entirely different set of requirements for their upkeep.

“You still need someone to change tires and change the brakes, they have brake fluid, but you don’t have radiator fluid and you don’t need oil,” Massie said of electric cars.

He said these vehicles need people who are computer savvy because of their components.

Massie has worked with the two high schools in Napa, but eventually it was impossible to find anyone to teach the auto shop class. Now the programs don’t exist.

Vince Vandell, manager at Marin Luxury Cars in Corte Madera, said it might be time to form a dealership council to possibly resurrect auto shop in high school.

“Especially in Marin there are a lot of kids who are either trust fund kids or their parents are not going to set a career path for them to be techs,” Vandell said.

While today he has enough employees to work on the Jaguars and Land Rovers, when he needs a tech with 10 or more years’ experience, those are the people who are hard to come by.

“They are a dying breed,” Vandell said.

At Toyota Marin in San Rafael there are enough service bays to keep 30 mechanics busy every day. But the shop only has 22 mechanics right now.

Service Adviser Todd Hong said one way to attract more mechanics is to up the pay. The Marin County shop pays between $20 and $50 an hour depending on the certifications a tech has and their skill level.

“The working class is hard to find,” Hong told the Journal.