The majority of final-year students in U.S. automotive aftermarket technician training programs don't plan to enter the industry after their schooling is complete, the ASE Education Foundation has found.
According to the report, 74% of underclassmen plan to continue in their programs next year, but the number drops sharply by graduation. At the same time, only 42% of seniors say they intend to work in the transportation industry or continue transportation-industry studies.
The report covers the network of ASE-accredited automotive, collision and medium/heavy truck training programs operating at high schools and colleges across the United States.
Survey data in the report suggests work experience plays a major role in whether students remain in the field.
The report says 71% of students who already have a job in the industry plan to stay, compared with 37% of students not currently working and 34% of students working outside the industry.
Among high school seniors surveyed, 26% plan to continue automotive education after graduation and 16% plan to work full time in the automotive industry. Another 16% plan to attend a four-year college to study something else, 15% plan to attend community or technical school to study something else, 19% selected “other” and 12% said they were unsure.
The ASE Education Foundation says 125,297 students are enrolled in ASE-accredited automotive, collision and truck repair programs across 1,812 programs at 1,949 schools in 51 U.S. states and territories.
Those programs include 76,106 high school students and 49,191 college students.
During the 2024-2025 school year, 50,249 students earned ASE entry-level certifications through accredited programs. Another 1,754 students earned G1 certification by passing eight automotive entry-level tests.
The report also says 54,311 students with two or more years in their programs are ready to enter the workforce for part-time or full-time work.
Dave Johnson, president and CEO of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, says the organization is focused on promoting the technician profession.
“This past year has been all about momentum. ASE is working diligently to re-energize our brand and continue to showcase the proven professionals of the transportation industry in a positive light. We are asking the questions, polling our instructors and technicians, listening to your feedback and doubling down on our efforts to spread the word to the motoring public. Thank you for your support and continued stewardship of our industry.”
The report also points to continued demand for additional training capacity. In a section featuring Johnson, Automotive Training Managers Council president Matt Shepanek and ASE Education Foundation president Mike Coley, the report says the 2025 ATMC Training Benchmarks Survey found respondents “are still focused on securing more classrooms and expanding instructor-led hands-on training.”
Instructor training remains a major part of the education network. The report says 265 instructors attended the 2025 ASE Instructor Training Conference in St. Louis, representing more than 3,130 years of teaching experience.
Conference organizers delivered 112 training sessions, with 60 companies contributing to training sessions and 34 sponsors participating. Attendees received 4,802 hours of training.
The report also highlights student engagement programs aimed at connecting employers with training programs. In 2025, ASE partnered with schools and dealer associations in North Texas, Charlotte, Houston and Salt Lake City to host student competitions involving 123 teams and 369 students performing vehicle diagnostics and multi-point inspections.
“The goal of the student competition was to connect businesses with schools while increasing the interest of students and encouraging them to stay in the automotive field,” says Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation.
The foundation also brought 1,200 students from ASE-accredited programs to eight Goodguys events during the year.
“These events showed students how they can have a successful career as a technician and opened their eyes to other industry career paths,” Coley says.
“Many students have only been exposed to the technician role in the service and repair industry, so sharing a broader view of possible career opportunities and how their automotive coursework applies, opens their eyes to a future of possibilities.”
