Article sponsored by TechForce Foundation:

The world around us is in a constant state of change and evolution, and it’s happening at warp speed. Nowhere is that more evident than in today’s job market. Young men and women entering the workforce have to wonder if there really is such a thing as job security, and, if so, how to go about finding it.

One estimate by the World Economic Forum, states that 65% of children entering primary school now will ultimately work in a job that doesn’t exist today. If that’s the case, then how can a person ever be sure that they are choosing a job that will stand the test of time and still be viable in the future? And, according to some estimates from a Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) report, 38% of today’s jobs will be replaced by robots by the early 2030s. Together, these two forecasts present a scary and uncertain future when thinking about making a job choice that will be a wise one, and one that holds a future. So, what does that mean for transportation technician job security? Here are some reasons why technicians are projected to have job security in the future.

Techs are High in Demand

• • We recently conducted a survey that found that on average between now and 2026, the industry will need more than 121,000 technicians each year to replace those who are retiring and those who are leaving the industry, and to handle new growth.

• And that is only counting the automotive, diesel and collision industries. That number swells even more dramatically when adding motorcycle, marine, off-road and agriculture. The need is tremendous and shows no sign of abating.   

Cars Need Humans

• Perhaps most importantly, when it comes to the maintenance and repair of vehicles, the “human touch” will always be needed. Robots are not capable of providing the complex skill set that human beings do. In the case of transportation technicians, those skills include interpretation of customer complaints, road testing of vehicles, problem solving for diagnosis, and the manual dexterity to manipulate, disassemble and assemble parts and components from the very small to the very large.

You Can’t Outsource Techs

• • Finally, unlike far too many other job roles that we have seen outsourced in recent years, this is a role that will never be exported. How can the maintenance and repair of a vehicle be outsourced to a technician in another country?

• While there is no absolute guarantee of job security, there are many factors to make a strong case that a career as a transportation technician will continue to be in strong demand!

Article sponsored by TechForce Foundation.