Training Trials: ASE Education Foundation releases 2024 report, highlights how in-school training benefits industry retention

Toronto, Ontario – The Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation has now released its 2024 annual report which focuses on the efforts being made to tackle the ongoing North American skilled trades automotive technician shortage.

When looking at the report, the ASE Education Foundation indicates that 118,000 students were registered in accredited ASE programs in 2024.

Within this, a total of 71,000 high school students were registered, followed by a total of 47,000 college students.

Moreover, the study notes that working while in school increases retention levels within the industry, with 47 percent of college students reporting successfully transitioning into the industry following apprenticeships or workplace training.

The study concludes that the following foundational tasks were added to the Automobile program standards in 2024:

• Demonstrate knowledge of personal protective equipment (PPE) required for use in high voltage electric vehicle circuits
• Demonstrate knowledge of hazards related to high voltage systems/electric vehicles, including electrocution, fire, explosion, arc flash, gases and fumes, hazardous chemicals and EMF, and how to properly respond to emergency situations
• Demonstrate knowledge of high voltage system and component colouring, warning labels, lights, signage and lock-out/tag-out procedures
• Demonstrate ability to identify which components and circuits contain high voltage
• Demonstrate knowledge of steps needed to access possible hazards prior to servicing a high voltage/electric vehicle, including awareness of automatic systems that may operate while the key switch/ignition is off
• Understand limitations on which systems, components and circuits of a high voltage/electric vehicle a technician is capable of safely servicing based on their level of training/qualification
• Demonstrate knowledge of high voltage/electric vehicle intake process, inspection and in-process monitoring for all vehicles, including damaged/compromised vehicles.

For more information, or to read the full report, click here.