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The Training EnigmaPosted 10/7/1997Bob Leone
It's difficult, if not impossible, to find one consistent solution to the industry's alleged training problems. Opinions from trainers, trainers of trainers, manufacturer training reps, and end users in both collision and service repair sides of this business all differ to some degree. Some of the answers pose more questions; but throughout it all, there is indeed a real desire by all or at least most within the industry to find a reason for the decline in interest in training.
History: short form Organizations such as the Automotive Service Association (ASA) lobbied a sound approach to involve the aftermarket in the IM240 and related central emission programs being adopted by some states. As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) threatened, the OE manufacturers gradually, and sometimes grudgingly, released information that spawned the training evolution that has been in full swing since 1986. Based on comments made by trainers and trainees contacted for this article, it seems that the perception that the transfer of technology takes too long for the aftermarket's satisfaction is one shared by both the trainers assigned by organizations at the OE level and those in the aftermarket. The reality of this situation has been and continues to be addressed by major players in the parts manufacturing and distribution chains. Several have established national training centers.
Training in "real world" settings Students are shop technicians and owners fresh from the field, say the instructors at MOOG. A recent highlight of the training program involved senior instructor Terry Hawkins and a deaf student from Mississippi. MOOG hired two signers/translators to assure that the student wouldn't miss a word. The success rate of such training programs always seems high with dedicated experts such as the trainers at MOOG who not only go the extra mile, but see to it that their methods are perhaps the best reflection of any teacher's goal - to train everyone despite the circumstances. Dutch Johnson, senior technical advisor and training center supervisor for JOSAM Alignment Corporation of Orlando, Fla., said the Heavy Duty Courses he puts on are full most of the time. He doesn't like the "pie in the sky" idealistic efforts to produce "training in the can," whereby training information is pre-packaged, making it impossible to provide for every possible situation the technician end-user might face. This type of closed-ended instruction seems to accompany purchases of alignment equipment and other high caliber test and service-oriented equipment. With the exception of operating and reference help instructions, Johnson thinks formal training instruction bred specifically for interactive audiences makes a lot more sense. With this in mind, it's important to recognize that some training success has been affected by software programs tied to service equipment installations. By virtue of the repetitive nature of repeating the pre-checks and other instructions from these software training programs, trainees are better able to learn the routines and proper servicing procedures. GM trainer Pete Kafler says, "Perhaps we must learn to understand that the very nature of the technology that brought us to the place we are now has no room for stagnation." The industry must also be aware that some training efforts fail before they get started because there is an element of distrust. Several sources on different levels mentioned the OE efforts at satellite dish training as being cost prohibitive in the aftermarket, and consequently another sore spot in relations between the OEs and the aftermarket. If the aftermarket can't access training, then it is useless to the independents. Dan Norton, ASA member and shop owner from Trinidad, Colo., said that, automotive core training aside, his people would like to get on the OE band-wagon with regard to flash-promming and he thinks that this might soon be a reality. Heavy investment into support technology has provided a foothold in some cases into the OE platform. Tool makers and suppliers need the independent and aftermarket trade. Working just for the OEs doesn't pay all of the bills anymore! Untrained technicians must evolve by trial and error methods that are only effective in costly third and fourth assertion levels of repair. Many bonds assumed to be solid between suppliers and end users are eroding quickly because of returns on perfectly good parts thrown at problems by untrained technicians. An outlying, by-related problem has also surfaced and continues to plague the entire aftermarket: Training gypsies have unrolled their tents in many parts of the country. Sloppy formats, outdated information and a search for "the next sucker" has all but made industry training appear to be less than ideal in the last several years. Automotive systems change from year to year, so also must the technical information. So, how do you train people to accept a premise that is basically unclear from its inception. What methodology can best be used to capture the attention of a group of people who have been fooled too many times?
Viewpoint Bob Wheeler, Ford Motor Company Regional Heavy Duty training instructor, said he really does not know why training seems to be falling by the way-side. His heavy duty classes are well received, but sometimes the laser disc and CD-ROM programs fall way short of their goals. Wheeler went on to say that Ford's captive big dish satellite training net was still doing very well, but that attendance could be better. The reasoning behind the CD-ROM training snafu, he said, might lay in the nature of the heavy duty business. He told us that a lot of the training for truck work goes on right on the shop floor. Although interactive laser disc and CD technologies offer a realistic approach to learning, just being there and getting in on the repair still seems to work best. Wheeler also noted that many CD interactive sessions cannot be completed because techs are interrupted frequently because of shop activity or other crisis service routines. In this setting, the training simply loses its effectiveness. Ford, says Wheeler, believes that future training will be assigned to multimedia and that on-line service training will be standard operating procedure by the end of the decade.
This article is part one of a two-part series on training in the automotive industry. Part two will appear in next month's issue.
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Copyright (c) 1996-2009. Automotive Service Association®. All rights reserved.
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If the automotive service industry is involved in a training crisis, then why is it that many training sources report that they are instructing to half-filled (or less) classrooms? With an aging technician population and such enormous amounts of information to disseminate, it seems impossible that shop personnel in both collision and mechanical areas do not flock to such gatherings. The answers to these questions do not come easy. Even many of those in the industry who are familiar with this subject still don't have a clue as to why more shop employees don't participate in off-site training.
