Industry Profile -- by Jennifer Bysterveld and Shauna Bonnett

Canada has one of the most successful and competitive automotive industries in the world, creating over 500,000 jobs in this country, according to "A Report on the Automotive Industry," published by Statistics Canada in June 1998.

With this in mind, we turned to Shauna Bonnett the TIREC (Transportation Industry Regional Employment Council) Youth Employment Program Co-ordinator for the inside scoop on careers in this industry. Shauna had a lot of good advice.

Did you know?

The best way to get your foot in the door is sometimes through the back door. Reaching your career goal is a process, and in this industry the best way to go about it is from the bottom up. Let's say you want to be any kind of mechanical technician whether it be cars, trucks, RVs or motorcycles. An apprenticeship is usually only offered after you have spent some time working for the company. The industry offers a wide range of entry-level positions from which to start. Examples include lot person, car porter, wash bay attendant, shop cleaner or helper, and lube bay technician. These positions generally only require a driver's license, some familiarity of automobiles and good customer service skills. Employers may often prefer a high school diploma but for the most part this is not necessary. This means that gaining valuable career experience is possible while still in high school.

Two very important factors give this industry a promising outlook in terms of careers. Firstly, employers usually promote to apprenticeship positions from within their companies. This way you can get in, gain some experience and then likely move into an apprenticeship position, thus avoiding the struggle of seeking out an employer to take you on as an apprentice. Secondly, long term earning potential in this industry meets and exceeds careers requiring college or university education. Higher education isn't for everyone, and it's not the only way to earn the money you want. Most of the technical, trade and truck driving opportunities in this industry offer wages comparable to diploma, certificate and degree programs, and you earn while you learn. Once certified, many trades and technical positions include salaries in the $35,000 - $40,000 range. Long haul truckers, once experienced, average in excess of $40,000 per year. In addition there are many non-trade and non-technical careers offering salaries anywhere from $20,000 and up.

Here are just a sample of careers in the automotive industry:

Autobody Technician
Automotive Service Technician
Motorcycle Mechanic
Partsperson
Truck Driver

Bonuses, benefits, commissions, overtime, and flat rate options increase earnings. Many companies add to their employee's salaries through one or more of the above.

Overtime: If you are paid an hourly rate, overtime is paid at one-and-a-half times your usual rate. Many of the higher education careers pay a monthly salary, and in many cases these employers expect a lot of extra time to be put in for no extra pay.

Commissions & Bonuses: Many parts professionals, service writers, and technicians now enjoy extra commissions or bonuses on individual, department, company sales or performance. These commissions can add hundreds of extra dollars to each month's base salary.

Flat Rate: Many shops work on a flat rate basis for their technicians which means you get paid a set rate for a certain job. That job may be designated as a four hour job. If you complete the job in 2.5 hours you still get paid for four hours. Experienced, motivated technicians can sometimes earn 12 or more hours of pay for working eight hours.

Benefits: These plans vary from company to company, but many pay part, or all, of dental, medical, prescription and/or life insurance premiums.

Long term projections for occupations in this industry are for steady growth. The transport of road motor vehicles, parts and accessories continues to be the largest single commodity type moved in either direction across the Canada - U.S. border. This fact brings to light the size of the industry, with an even larger number of employees focused on activities surrounding the sale and servicing of these vehicles and products. All vehicles; cars, RV's, motorcycles, light and heavy trucks, require parts, accessories, window glass, mechanical maintenance and repair, body repair, painting, etc. to keep them in good condition. As sales of these products and services are sure to increase, so will the work force supporting them.

The industry at this level is not prone to the mass layoffs that are commonplace in the technologies industries. Good employees are retained for much longer periods of time than is typical in today's world. It is not unusual for a company to have many employees celebrating in excess of five, 10, 15 or 20 years of service at any given time.

This is still an industry where you can work hard and move up. Most of the people currently holding management positions or owning companies in this industry started at the bottom. Shauna is aware of many success stories: "I know of one man in the parts industry who started as the company janitor over 20 years ago who is now the Western Canada stores manager for a multinational parts distributor. He won't tell me how much he earns, but I'm sure it is in excess of $50 per hour. He also enjoys many benefits of this position - travel, attending company sponsored events like Indy car races, staying in the best hotels, and meeting many celebrities who we can only dream about. Another young man started as a parts delivery driver about five years ago and is now managing a parts store earning $55,000 or more per year, and is well on his way to moving up the ladder of success.

"I have met numerous repair shop and car dealership owners with similar experiences. Once they got their foot in that back door, they made sure it stayed there. The only limits to success in this industry are the limits people choose for themselves."