Subaru Service technical training versus the competition

I have been and continue to be very concerned about the lack of skilled technicians in the industry. Dealers do not have enough technicians and certainly not enough qualified technicians in their stores. There is some limited in-house training, but the more specialized training the corporation offers is very limited with technician waiting lists of years. How in the world are dealers supposed to be servicing the EVs that will be in their shops in the next 5-10 years without starting the training NOW. Even without the introduction of EVs, ICE vehicles are increasingly using computers and relays to control the vehicle. Without proper training, vehicles will not be properly diagnosed and repaired. Technicians who do not see a stable career path for advancement will not commit to a trade or even industry.

The major dealer groups have not put enough pressure on the OEMs to partner in creating the many more training slots needed. there are internships available, but the training is basic and then technicians are stuck waiting years for an opening in additional training.

there is also a difference in service advisors. they have a unique challenge in translating customer concerns to techs and working with the shop employee to assign a qualified tech to complete the diagnosis and repair, all in a reasonable amount of time. currently repair wait times have only increased and I don’t see this changing anytime soon given the lack of investment in infrastructure and training.

Next time you’re at your dealership, ask a technician about the realities of the training opportunities the store offers. How often are training slots available? If they want your business, they have a responsibility to you to ensure that their technicians are properly trained and that service wait times are reasonable.

I don’t know if one OEM does a better job at this than others.