Pub. 6 2016 Issue 4

20 AUTOMOBILE DEALER NEWS ILLINOIS www.illinoisdealers.com n Dealerships Need More Young Technicians — continued from page 18 and expect to be able to do much. You need the right tools. It turns out those tools are expensive and, possibly, out of financial reach for many schools. The price tag for an Integrated Diagnostic System (IDS) such as a dealership’s repair shop might have is $4,000. In addition, there is a monthly software license fee to pay. Many schools can’t afford that. Cars for students to work on are sometimes older model cars. Add in the space requirements for a shop where students can train, and it becomes even more difficult for a school to keep its programs going when enrollment goes down or teachers retire. The result is inadequate programs that don’t lay a good foundation even if some students have a strong interest. A lot of dealerships don’t hire any technician who is less than 18 years of age. This is usually because of in- surance issues. According to Damon CLAconnect.com/dealerships Investment advisory services are offered through CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. WEALTH ADVISORY | OUTSOURCING AUDIT, TAX, AND CONSULTING 26-0500 | ©2016 CliftonLarsonAllen LLP ROCK SOLID FINANCIALS Generate confidence in your financials with the help of experienced numbers people. Friend, who is a transpor tation in- structor at Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southwest, which is located in Wixom, Michigan, lowering the minimum age by as little as six months would go a long way toward helping dealerships find new mechanics. By the time the prospective mechanics are 18, they’ve often found something else to do instead. Faced with potential shortages, and the negative impact that has on any dealership, what can dealers do to turn the situation around? • Understand the millennial mindset so you can work more effectively with them. • Be advocates within the school system for your future employees. • Create relationships with mentors. Understanding the Millennial Mindset Millennials are those who were born between 1982 and 2005. In generally, they’ve received praise since their ear- liest childhood for doing anything that could be classified as creative or innova- tive. Most of them were playing video games when they were still only seven or eight years old. If they played team sports, everyone got a chance to play, and if there were trophies to be handed out, everybody got one. They’ve been taught to stand up for themselves, to express their opinions, and to do every- thing the smart way, not the hard way. They want shortcuts, simplifications, and efficiency. Unfortunately, many millennials have much less interest in cars and driv- ing than previous generations. They don’t need to drive to see their friends;