Hosted by Jeff Walter, Founder and CEO of LatitudeLearning
The modern automobile no longer behaves like a machine built purely from gears, belts, pistons, and mechanical systems. Today’s vehicles think, communicate, monitor, calculate, and respond. They are filled with software, sensors, electronic control modules, driver assistance technologies, and increasingly sophisticated diagnostic systems that have fundamentally changed the nature of automotive repair.
For technicians working in service bays across North America, this transformation has created both enormous opportunity and tremendous pressure.
In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter welcomes Mike Willins of Motor Age Training for a conversation that feels less like a traditional interview and more like an honest look at an industry standing in the middle of massive change.
Throughout the discussion, Mike paints a clear picture of the challenges facing automotive organizations today. The technician shortage continues to grow. Vehicle systems continue becoming more complex. Experienced technicians are retiring. New technicians often enter the field without the diagnostic depth required to work effectively on modern vehicles. Meanwhile, repair facilities are expected to maintain productivity, customer satisfaction, and profitability while navigating constant technological disruption.
What emerges from the conversation is a simple but powerful truth: the future of automotive service depends heavily on learning.
Not occasional learning. Not annual certification events. Continuous learning.
Early in the discussion, Mike reflects on how dramatically the automotive profession has changed over the years. There was a time when many technicians could rely primarily on mechanical instinct and repetition. A technician might spend years mastering engines, brakes, suspension systems, or transmissions through direct hands-on experience.
That world still exists to some degree, but it is no longer enough.
Modern vehicles demand an entirely different type of technician. Today’s professionals must understand how software interacts with hardware, how systems communicate electronically, and how data travels through increasingly connected vehicle platforms.
A repair issue may no longer be isolated to a single broken component. It may involve communication failures between systems, sensor calibration issues, software conflicts, or networked electronic problems that require analytical thinking as much as mechanical skill.
Mike explains that diagnostics has become one of the defining competencies in modern automotive service. The ability to identify root causes accurately and efficiently separates high-performing technicians from those struggling to keep pace with industry demands.
That shift changes everything about training.
Organizations can no longer rely solely on procedural instruction or static repair information. Technicians must learn how to think diagnostically. They must understand systems, relationships, logic paths, and troubleshooting methodologies.
In many ways, the profession now resembles technical systems analysis as much as traditional repair work.
The conversation naturally turns toward the technician shortage that continues impacting dealerships, independent repair facilities, and aftermarket organizations throughout the industry.
But Mike makes an important distinction.
The industry is not simply facing a shortage of workers. It is facing a shortage of properly trained workers.
That difference matters.
Repair organizations are struggling not only to recruit new talent, but also to develop technicians capable of working confidently on increasingly advanced vehicles. Shops need employees who can diagnose complex issues, adapt to new technologies, and continue learning as systems evolve.
The challenge becomes even more difficult when experienced technicians leave the workforce. In many organizations, decades of practical knowledge disappear through retirement faster than younger technicians can replace it.
This creates operational pressure everywhere.
Productivity slows. Diagnostic accuracy suffers. Customer satisfaction declines. Comebacks increase. Existing technicians become overworked. Managers struggle to balance training time with operational demands.
Mike explains that training organizations like Motor Age Training exist to help bridge that gap between emerging technology and workforce readiness.
But the conversation makes something else very clear as well: no single training event can solve this problem.
The industry must fundamentally rethink how learning fits into daily operations.
One of the most compelling themes throughout the discussion is the idea that many organizations still view training as something separate from operational performance.
Training becomes the thing technicians do when they are not working.
Mike challenges that mindset directly.
The organizations performing best today are often the ones building learning into the culture of the business itself. Instead of viewing education as downtime, they recognize it as an investment in future productivity, repair quality, customer trust, and operational consistency.
That shift in thinking changes how training is prioritized.
Rather than asking whether organizations can afford to train technicians, the better question becomes whether they can afford not to.
The cost of poor diagnostics, unnecessary parts replacement, low fix rates, employee turnover, and declining customer confidence quickly becomes far greater than the investment required to support effective learning programs.
This aligns closely with many of the ideas discussed throughout the Training Impact Podcast regarding training as a strategic asset rather than operational overhead.
Mike repeatedly emphasizes that modern technicians must remain in a constant state of development. The industry simply changes too quickly for static knowledge to remain useful for long.
As the conversation deepens, diagnostics emerges as one of the most important strategic themes in the entire episode.
Modern repair environments increasingly reward technicians who can think critically, isolate problems efficiently, and understand how systems interact.
This is not simply about replacing parts anymore.
It is about understanding why failures occur.
Mike explains that organizations with strong diagnostic capabilities often experience major operational advantages. Faster problem identification improves efficiency. Accurate repairs reduce costly comebacks. Better troubleshooting strengthens customer trust. Technicians become more productive and confident.
In many ways, diagnostics expertise now functions as a measurable business advantage.
The discussion reinforces how automotive learning programs must evolve beyond memorization or procedural instruction. Training must increasingly focus on problem solving, systems thinking, and real-world troubleshooting scenarios that mirror actual service environments.
This mirrors larger shifts occurring throughout learning and development industries where skill application matters more than content consumption alone.
While the episode focuses heavily on technical development, another important layer emerges throughout the discussion: the human side of workforce development.
Mike and Jeff touch on the reality that technicians are not simply repairing vehicles. They are operating within teams, interacting with service advisors, supporting customers, communicating findings, and managing pressure-filled environments where efficiency and accuracy matter simultaneously.
That requires more than technical skill alone.
It requires adaptability, communication, professionalism, and continuous growth.
The conversation subtly highlights an important truth often overlooked in technical industries: strong learning cultures create stronger organizations overall.
When technicians feel supported, developed, and invested in, retention improves. Confidence improves. Engagement improves.
Organizations that create clear development pathways often build stronger long-term stability because employees see opportunity rather than stagnation.
Another major takeaway from the episode is the growing importance of modern learning delivery systems.
Traditional classroom instruction still plays an important role, but the realities of automotive operations increasingly require flexible, scalable learning environments capable of supporting technicians continuously.
Mike discusses the importance of accessible training resources, ongoing education opportunities, and blended learning approaches that combine practical application with structured instruction.
This reflects larger industry trends where learning must become more integrated into operational workflows rather than existing entirely outside them.
The conversation also indirectly reinforces many of the AI and learning innovation concepts discussed in previous Training Impact Podcast episodes focused on the future of learning technology.
As automotive technology continues evolving, the organizations best positioned for success will likely be those capable of evolving their learning strategies just as quickly.
The conversation between Jeff Walter and Mike Willins of Motor Age Training offers a thoughtful and timely look at the future of automotive workforce development.
What makes the discussion especially compelling is that it never treats training as a side topic. Instead, learning sits at the center of operational performance, technician retention, customer satisfaction, and long-term business success.
The automotive industry is entering an era where the most valuable organizations may not simply be the ones with the newest tools or the largest facilities. They may be the organizations most capable of helping people learn, adapt, and grow alongside rapidly changing technology.
That reality places training organizations like Motor Age Training in an increasingly important position within the broader automotive ecosystem.
Because in modern automotive service, the competitive advantage is no longer just the equipment inside the shop.
It is the knowledge inside the technician.
To learn more about Motor Age Training, visit: Motor Age Training
For more from the Training Impact Podcast, follow us on Social Media – Training Impact Podcast Social Media
Episode Transcript
Jeff Walter (00:00)
Hi, I’m Jeff Walter and welcome back to the Training Impact Podcast where we talk about scaling channel performance through training infrastructure. My guest today is Mike Willans. Mike is the business development director of MotorAge Training and Events at Endeavor Business Media. Mike is a seasoned journalist and business strategist with more than 25 years of experience in media and communications. Mike, welcome to the program.
So Mike, as my listeners know, I’m always curious as to the journey people take. I find it really fascinating. So how did you end up as business development director over at Endeavor Media, specifically focused on motor age training?
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (00:36)
Sure. So I originally went to school as a journalist. So I went to Ohio State University and graduated many moons ago. went into just traditional journalism, newspapers, then transitioned to book publishing, doing, you know.
book production for photography books of all things and then I Did what everybody does and I found a woman And she lived up and I was in Cincinnati at the time and I Her She was originally from Cleveland and so we I was ready to you know move north so I
Jeff Walter (01:02)
Hahaha
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (01:14)
found a job with an ad agency and PR firm that handled aftermarket clients. And that was back in 97. So it’s been a few years. And I didn’t really care for the agency lifestyle and the person I was working for at the time. But on the positive side, I got familiar with some of the brands we were working on
Jeff Walter (01:33)
Thank you.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (01:38)
Clues Adelman and just ⁓ several aftermarket parts and product manufacturers. I decided to switch back over to the print journalism side and came to, at the time we only had one magazine called Aftermarket Business and it was a distribution magazine focused on the jobbers and the wholesale distributors and retailers.
And over the course of and I’ve been with that company in various iterations that that was with advanced advanced are and advanced are eventually
Jeff Walter (02:11)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (02:14)
was bought and sold a few times and we, you our divisions were bought and sold a few times and Endeavor Business Media is actually our current parent company. And along that journey, my role changed quite a bit. was, I had originally started as just a managing editor for one of the mag, for that magazine and evolved into a web director and content director for when we had acquired some other
Jeff Walter (02:28)
you
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (02:39)
properties
from Chilton and that’s how we got acquired motor age and a BRN body repair news at the time and we
Jeff Walter (02:54)
And for those ⁓ who are not familiar with the brand, what is Motorage Training and what’s the focus there? you came from a long publishing line and journal line. Help us all understand what Motorage Training is.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (03:11)
So in a nutshell, most of what we do is ASC test prep. We are the only officially licensed test prep provider that ASC has right now. They just launched a program to officially license.
Jeff Walter (03:16)
Okay.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (03:28)
companies that have been in the business for a long time and and motor age training as best we can tell because some some of those archives sort of disappear over the years and with the changing of hands you know we’re 40 plus years in in ASC test prep
Jeff Walter (03:45)
Right.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (03:45)
basically helping guys prepare for and pass their ASC certifications. And that’s the bulk of what we do. We have a line of 39 different study guides and practice tests that help guys get their A-Series certifications, their T-Series certifications, as well as collision. So we kind of cut across most of what ASC is testing on.
The other side of what we do is we provide webinars, training webinars, just general training webinars through a partnership we have with an organization up in New York called Technician Service Training, which I don’t know if you’re familiar with Jerry Trulia or G Trulia. G is…
Jeff Walter (04:23)
Mm-hmm.
No.
Right.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (04:29)
sponsors who rob an air or AutoZone and DuraLast and Autel, do a lot on ADAS and some other things. the content itself just focuses on how to improve certain aspects of repair engine management or suspension or bearings and it depends on that topic.
Jeff Walter (04:55)
And so
who are the folks that usually come? I mean, obviously you’re training automotive service technicians and the ASA test prep, the Association for Service Excellence is the gold standard of certification in that sector. Is it individuals coming or is it organizations, aftermarket organizations or dealer organizations?
Obviously it’s the individual that’s getting certified, are they coming in on their own or how does that work?
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Now Dan over there.
they’re a client of ours. Yeah, yeah.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (05:31)
Yeah, I mean it’s so a lot of the stuff that we do is it cuts across whether it’s just a Small shop or one person, one tech or you know we do. We also sell the schools and governmental entities. You know, so a lot of times. A school comments a our students need to get their G1, which is an entry level, you know, more broader. Certification early certification.
Jeff Walter (05:51)
All right.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (05:55)
and they need test prep material for that. Some of the governmental entities that run heavy duty equipment and need to have their guys trained or want their guys trained for their municipality or their fleet operations, they’ll come to us and set up a program.
Jeff Walter (06:11)
And what kind of feedback do you get back from your learners, folks that go through the program? Because on the ASC test prep, they’re doing that to prepare themselves for the test. How are you doing that? And what kind of feedback are you getting? And where do see that going in the future?
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (06:28)
Well, from a feedback standpoint, I don’t want to, I believe in letting other people talk for me most of time. yeah, I mean, I have.
Jeff Walter (06:35)
⁓ Well, except this time I asked you the question, right?
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (06:40)
Seeing commentary out in the marketplace, both positive and negative. So and predominantly positive that, we because we’ve done it for so long. ⁓ People feel like our products are pretty good at helping them prepare and pass. We actually have a pass or don’t pay guarantee. ⁓ Yeah, so we kind of back. We kind of back that up and.
Jeff Walter (06:44)
Ha
Mm-hmm.
Okay, that’s a nice incentive.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (07:04)
You know the the biggest questions there the the Challenges they have is that sometimes they come in and they think that We have the questions and answers that are going to be on the exam Nobody has that ASC protects that and and So we’re never going to have the exact questions that they offer What we tip what we will do every year ASC will send out updates to its task list the task list for each book
Jeff Walter (07:15)
Right.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (07:31)
is what determines what they’re going to be testing people on, you know, for the coming year. And sometimes that stays the same year to year. Sometimes that’ll change. ASE tries to give us, ⁓ you know, five, six month window to start updating our books. And we do that pretty regularly, depending on what changes they’ve had in their task list.
with our new official license designation, we actually have a little bit better peek behind the window, if you will, at how they’re preparing their tests and how they phrase questions, how they…
go through the process of creating those exams. And so it’s given us a much better picture. We actually were just there last week, just kind of going over what that looks like and some of the verbiage that we use.
Jeff Walter (08:22)
So for the folks that sign up for the service, what does that look like? You refer to the book or is it you’re reading chapters, taking practice? How am I, as a technician, how do you help me prepare for the exam is the question. Okay.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (08:38)
So it’s all self-study, but what we do
have, we sell in both print editions or we have electronic editions.
the print editions if you if you purchase a print edition we actually change our policy at the beginning of the year so that you actually get the electronic edition so within an LMS learning you know learning management system that we have where they can come in and and you know look at the courses that they’ve registered for signed up for paid for and they can go through that learning on their own they can self study and then there’s a
Jeff Walter (08:57)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (09:17)
change that that policy to if you buy print you also get the digital is because we do those updates I don’t want a guy buying a book and then six months later three months later we change the book and the test technology or the test criteria changes and that guy has an old outdated book so at least with the electronic edition
Jeff Walter (09:23)
Bye.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (09:41)
We don’t have, they don’t have to go back and repurchase another print product or repurchase it to get those changes. They can see that within their account.
Jeff Walter (09:53)
Yeah,
and within the sector, what do you see as the biggest change happening? You know, it’s interesting. I was looking at a 32 Auburn the other day and a lot of different technology versus on that vehicle versus my QX80.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (10:07)
Yeah. Yeah. Well,
I mean, are things are moving so rapidly. And I think that the challenge for the technicians to stay up to date on.
Jeff Walter (10:15)
Yeah.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (10:23)
not only how to do the repair, but…
You know, I think what happens, I was heading a panel recently for ETI, Equipment Tool Institute, and I had a repair, a trainer panel, and we were talking about ADOS and electric vehicles and.
Jeff Walter (10:31)
Mm-hmm.
I’m sorry for those who are not in the industry. What is ADAS?
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (10:46)
advanced driver assistance systems
Jeff Walter (10:48)
Okay, so that’s all the driver assistance, the smart cruise control, the keeping
you in your lane, the… Okay.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (10:53)
Right. Lane assist, ⁓
all that kind of stuff, all the cameras and bells and whistles. One of the interesting things about that was that some of these guys were, I had a question to them, I was moderating, I had a question about if you, it would seem that that takes a much more professional approach and much more.
like you know the the old school the old way of thinking around technicians was that you know they just were guys that you know didn’t want to go through college or didn’t want to go and and so they didn’t have that skill set and so they just did automotive and and people i think have
Jeff Walter (11:19)
huh.
Mm-hmm.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (11:34)
And so that we were talking about, you know, does does the level of professionalism get viewed differently with stuff like ADOS? Because, know, you’re you’re fixing ADOS, you’re having to recalibrate when when a vehicle has a has an accident or there’s there’s something else that’s maybe affecting how how those cameras read and the modules or the the sensors read on a vehicle.
Jeff Walter (11:50)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (12:01)
and if you don’t have those correct that changes whether that car is operating properly and could potentially cause an accident right
Jeff Walter (12:11)
Yeah.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (12:11)
So you would think that the general consumer would say, okay, well, these guys really must know their stuff because they’re able to fix that. and what the reality in the shop is, is these guys are being told, you know, all you’re doing is jacking up my rate. don’t, people, whatever reason, people don’t understand that that change of technology and that all those adjustments that you have to make and the calibrations you have to do are actually
Jeff Walter (12:28)
Hahaha!
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (12:40)
actually
helping you survive, not damage your car, all those things that you want. And some people are actually like, hey, get that glass off of, I want to change the glass from my car because I don’t like that camera and those kind of sensors. And people are not understanding that. so I think, to be honest, that’s an industry wide problem that we need to probably communicate.
Jeff Walter (12:42)
Ha ha ha!
Yeah, well, I mean, as a consumer myself, just it just blows me away. Like I said, I had the opportunity to look at these antique cars, including a Model T. The one thing that shocked me about the Model T is the batteries were in the are in the compartment, you know, are in the driver’s compartment. It’s like right there on the dashboard. The batteries are right in the right, right on the dashboard. I was like, I was like,
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (13:27)
Yeah. You’re what you need to be. Yeah, Yeah.
Jeff Walter (13:37)
But
no, it’s really interesting what you just said because, and I think as consumers, we kind of know this, but we don’t think about it because old impressions die hard. If you think about it, you really just needed to, mean, there was always a lot to know, but was really engine transmission breaks. If you go back a while.
And, but now what you really have is a 50 to a hundred thousand dollar computer on four wheels sitting out in the rain for years. Like, you know, take your Mac book and put it out in the rain for a couple of years and see what happens. And, and it’s not a computer, it’s a network of computers, right? Like, like you’re saying with the ADOS, it’s like, there’s not a computer managing that. There’s a network of processors managing that. And that’s just the ADOS, right?
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (14:13)
Right. Yeah.
Jeff Walter (14:27)
I mean, was just blown away. I just picked up this QX80. It’s like, they got biosensors in the cabin to adjust the rear heat and so that the entire cabin has the same, like, I was just, you gotta be, like, and.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (14:41)
And even on the heavy duty side, know, it’s not just, I mean, there’s technology in there, you know, vehicle tracking, vehicle, you know, being able to monitor driver abilities and, you know, are they where they’re supposed to be? Are they taking the most efficient route? So there’s all that kind of logistics stuff that’s happening. so there is, you know, the guys were when we were talking on the
panel were very adamant that electrical, you know, they can’t get enough electrical training, you know, and so one of the things that we try to do is follow suit with that and some of it may seem basic to some people and some of it, you know, is just a great refresher at the least because, you know, guys don’t understand voltage drop and other types of, you
Jeff Walter (15:12)
Right.
Yeah. And with that regards, mean, you know, it sounds like you’ve, you know, obviously migrated to the, you know, more of digital platform. You still have the print books, but you’re giving them access to the digital. What do you see coming down the pipe in terms of motor age training and their, you know, ability, you know, are you guys envisioning changing how you’re going to prep people in the future or what’s coming? What do see the future?
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (15:54)
We’re,
yeah, we’re checking out some different.
trying to create some new products, let’s just say, to enhance what we’re doing. ⁓ One of the things that we have, we’ve started looking at Spanish language as an option, but it’s a little bit challenging because of dialect. So it’s not just a matter of.
Jeff Walter (16:06)
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah. I remember when we were supporting Chrysler globally, their dealers, and we had Mexican Spanish and Spain Spanish. ⁓ so their European Spanish speakers would do the Spain Spanish and it’s a different dial. And they call different things different. And if you don’t think about it,
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (16:28)
Yeah. Yeah.
Jeff Walter (16:40)
Until you like think of English and American English and British English and Canadian English and Australian English and you’re like, yeah, it’s not a lift. It’s an elevator, right? It’s not a bonnet.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (16:48)
Yeah, it’s not upon it. Yeah,
yeah, it’s the same same thing, right? So so it’s just so we’re looking into into the.
possibility of doing something like that. We are in the process of creating some additional supplemental practice tests for the products that we have so that guys can get more practice at the questions and answers and getting used to the test process and the way questions are asked. And like I said, now that we’ve had that little peek behind the curtain, it’s been helpful and we can
Jeff Walter (17:06)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (17:28)
expand on what we’re already offering that way. So yeah, we’re trying some different things, looking at different things. I had an endless supply of time, we would be farther along, but I don’t. But yeah, we’ll have some new things coming out by the end of the year.
Jeff Walter (17:41)
Ha
And we focused on the test prep side, but you also mentioned earlier the events and the online events. so what’s driving participation in that? The test prep, can kind of get your hands around and understand, hey, they want to get this industry accreditation that has value to the organization and the individual. But what about the…
What about the other side, the training sessions, the instructor-led sessions?
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (18:18)
We have done, like I said, some partnerships with TSC and our webinar platform.
Jeff Walter (18:23)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (18:24)
We also have, last year we conducted an on-site partnership with Dorman to do some in-person training. We did that up in Philadelphia. We’re eyeing the idea of doing more of that. In the past we have done individual training around…
We basically partnered with VOTEC schools and brought training in. We did something up in Washtenaw at the community college there. We had done something for up in Fox Valley, up in Appleton in Wisconsin. And basically had a full day of training.
Jeff Walter (18:44)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (18:59)
We kind of like that model and a lot of guys like having in-person training It’s particularly frustrating to not see them get out and about and do the training as as with as much as needs to be As much education as they need
Jeff Walter (19:03)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I’ve heard similar type numbers, yeah.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (19:20)
just try to hit the guys at home so that they don’t have to make it know spend the money on travel or you know in our webinars are actually because of sponsor programs they’re free a lot of times so ⁓ and then they’ll get us you know they can get a certificate if they want you know it’s like a continuing education type of certificate so
Jeff Walter (19:34)
nice.
I was going say next thing you guys are up here at Washtenaw Community College, let me know. That’s just right down the road from me. That’s like literally three, four, you know, yeah. It’s a nice campus for, mean, one of the nicer community, I mean.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (19:52)
Thanks. Being an Ohio
State guy makes me a little twitchy being up there.
Jeff Walter (19:56)
⁓ yeah. Well, yeah, that’s, that’s over in Ipsilani. That’s the next town over. It’s, it’s not, ⁓
you know, it’s funny. I was going to mention at the beginning of the podcast, I think it’s really, really funny. I’m up here in Ann Arbor, here in Ohio state guy. And as fate would have it, I’m wearing a blue jacket. my God. You couldn’t plan that. That’s so funny. But, but I also wanted to say the fact that we’re on the podcast together.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (20:10)
Yeah.
Yeah
Yeah, it can happen. Yeah, yeah.
Jeff Walter (20:22)
just shows you that it can happen and we can have world peace.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (20:28)
Well, when we were up for when we were up for ATMZ, you know, in Ann Arbor, I was looking out, you know, where we were for the conference and looking out, there’s a golf course and there’s, you know, water and all looks nice behind there. And I’m just looking at it. Somebody came up to me and said, if I could just remind myself that it’s not Michigan. I feel better about looking at this nice scenery.
Jeff Walter (20:42)
Yeah.
Yeah, that’s
a nice venue, the Marriott over there, the ATMC. was a fun conference.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (20:58)
Yeah, that was good.
And there’s some really great stuff that people are working on.
Jeff Walter (21:02)
You know, it’s a, think there’s some really cool things going on there. I think they, it’s, you know, it’s interesting. You know, we’ll talk about the test prep, but just the ASE, it’s really interesting to see the folks over there and how they’re embracing the change to stay on top of it. Because, know, whether it’s the technology in the vehicle or different types of ways in which to educate people.
Because there is a huge need, like you said, and how do you get that? How do you reduce the friction to get people in? Services like yours help reduce the friction and the anxiety people feel about getting certified. The certification demonstrates a certain level of competence. It’s just really interesting.
how they are really trying to address the whole issue.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (21:57)
Well, yeah, and some of the
augmented reality stuff that’s being worked on, being able to train guys on the job, helping them make their job more efficient, but also educate them in proper procedures, I think is really going to be…
over the next five, ten years, we’re gonna see more and more of it. Obviously, if guys aren’t coming out to train on their own or being sent out by shop owners, that’s that whole thing. Shop owners complain him because he’s like, I’m gonna train this guy, he’s gonna leave. And it’s like, what if you don’t train him and he stays?
Jeff Walter (22:45)
Yeah, yeah, I just I heard that for the first time this morning. I was taught as the call right before this I was talking as a woman of our new center and Yeah, she said that I was like, my god, that’s brilliant, right? Like it’s like you what if we train them and they leave and it’s like the worst What if we don’t they stay?
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (22:49)
Thank
Yeah, yeah,
I mean you have to find a way to get them trained and you know what if you’re treating them right and you’re helping them as a as a owner or you know team leader or whatever the role might be
Yeah, you might lose some, but I think at the end of the day, everybody’s gonna benefit across the board and people who know that you’re doing that, you’ll attract people who wanna stay with you because you’re investing in them.
Jeff Walter (23:33)
Yeah, you know, I mean, I think that’s a great thing to end on because I’ve talked to a number of people across many different industries. I’m blessed to have that opportunity. everybody always comes back and says, training is one of our top retention tools, right? Like, because it’s exactly what you just said. We’re investing in them. And yes, some of them, you know, for whatever reason.
will leave, but your retention rates just jump. ⁓
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (24:02)
Yeah, and it reduces
comebacks and it does other benefits business wise. you know, so you’re just, you’re just better off going through that process, not just because I’m in the industry to do that, you know, but it’s, it’s just, uh, if you, if you think about, you know, I don’t think anybody wants to just go through the grind every day and not feel like they’re, they’re learning or moving forward.
Jeff Walter (24:08)
Right, right.
Yeah.
What?
Yeah, well, it’s like, I it was like the whole one of the speakers, forget the gentleman’s name, but I think it was with Icar. Peevee, I think his name. was Jeff Peevee. Yeah. And he was saying how, you know, going from, you know, the industrial organization to the knowledge worker and now to the learning worker.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (24:41)
⁓ yeah, Jeff Peavy. Yeah.
Jeff Walter (24:56)
because there’s so much happening so quickly that it’s actually a competitive advantage to have a learning worker instead of a knowledge worker because that knowledge is.
you know, is the the half life of the knowledge is is is getting shorter and shorter and shorter, right? Whereas, know, back in you dial the clock back 5060 years, you could or even, know, you could you could train somebody on something and that’s not going to change for 10 years, right? And now that’s going to change in in, you know, 10 months, right? And so you got to be constantly learning. So I think that’s I, you know, I think it’s it’s something
The ability to learn, think, makes all the difference. I think that’s a, yeah, go ahead.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (25:38)
I think, I know
we’re gonna wrap up, but the other, I was talking to some educators not too long ago and we were talking about, know, they can’t, know, some of them are struggling to get students in their programs, you their college level type program versus high school. And I was asking them, you know, have you ever looked at, instead of going to the kid that’s in the VOTEC, you know, in the automotive,
Jeff Walter (25:55)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (26:08)
program is is a kid that is in a IT type of program somebody who’s could be attractive because they understand diagnostics they understand they understand computers with where we’re going is that
Jeff Walter (26:22)
Right.
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (26:25)
type of a student, somebody that we want to try to attract in because, you know, being able to, to, you know, it’s like going and getting the engineering kids before they go into engineering, you know, it’s
Jeff Walter (26:36)
What? Yeah, well, was exactly. I
think it’s it’s kind of it’s almost like you need to be a network engineer. You know, the guys that are hooked, you know, you know, taking care of the laptops and the servers and all that. I mean, it’s I think I think there’s a lot of I think a lot of it will evolve because I think it just as a consumer, you just see that your vehicle is getting more and more sophisticated and doing more and more. And I mean,
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (26:43)
Yeah. Yeah.
Jeff Walter (27:04)
the skill required to, well, it’s like everything, you know, it’s like even the, even factory jobs, right? Like, you know, people have this understanding of factory jobs and I’ve had the blessing of being able to be in a couple of factories that made engines. And there was.
This was over 10 years ago, and I’m sure it’s changed since then, but it’s like I saw the three generations, the chain driven assembly line with six people at every station, and then the automation with one person at every station, and then the latest automation, which was one person for every six stations. The people at the first one were actually doing the mechanical work of putting pistons and cylinders and all that kind of stuff. The last line, the person was a technician. They’re still a factory worker.
but they’re really a technician and they’re really troubleshooting and doing diagnostics and fit and, and, and they’re a technician on all the automation, much, much more sophisticated level of skill needed to be that one person than one of six on a station. And that’s where everything’s going. So I think it’s all, you got to be able to know this stuff. So, but I know, uh, uh, you’ve been very generous with your time, Mike. Uh, is there anything you, uh,
Mike Willins Motor Age Training (28:15)
Thanks for having me.
Jeff Walter (28:16)
like to say before we go, folks want to get ahold of you or motor age training, where would they go?
So Mike, thank you very much. And my guest today has been Mike Willens for Motor Age Training and Events. Mike, thank you for being part of the podcast. And to everybody else out there, we’ll see you next time.
Oops, there we go.