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CNN Live At Daybreak
Help Wanted: Auto Industry Jobs
Aired February 18, 2004 - 06:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: One of the major issues in the coming presidential election is the economy, specifically jobs or lack thereof.
Julie Vallese joins us now live from northern Virginia with a look at one industry that's hanging out the help wanted sign.
Tell us about this -- Julie.
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Absolutely. It is an industry that helps fuel the economy. It is the auto industry. They say they have tens of thousands of jobs that they can fill right now. Dealers and manufacturers from coast to coast are hanging out their help wanted signs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not your father's car, not your father's garage and certainly not your father's mechanic.
JOE MILO, AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN: The old stereotype of the, you know, the grease monkey at mom and pop's gas station is gone. Today's technician is not just somebody who, you know, rebuilds or replaces parts.
VALLESE: No, they are also computer technicians. But stereotypes stick, and the Department of Labor has projected a shortage of 35,000 auto service technicians entering the field for the next six years.
DENISE PATTON PACE, AUTOMOTIVE RETAILING TODAY: It is a career and it's not a dead end. And you -- there is a career ladder there.
VALLESE: Many secondary schools have cut back on their vocational training, leaving shortages in many trade fields.
EMILY STOVER DEROCCO, ASST. SECY., EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMIN.: It is very important that we pay attention to every sector of the economy that's creating jobs. And more importantly, that we pay attention to the right education in skills development.
VALLESE: Eleven billion dollars annually has been set aside by the government to do that. But the auto industry says it is not willing to sit and wait for young people to come to them, so it's going looking for a few good men and women. LT. COL. ROBERT HOHMAN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: What we need is to just have the basic skills, again, and just be professional, dedicated to their job, dedicated to their career, dedicated to the country.
VALLESE: Not just the Marines, but all sectors of the military. A Web site links auto manufacturers, dealers, trade schools and the military to available jobs from the east to west and everywhere in between.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now as with any job, it is what you make of it. And, Carol, in the auto industry, the making is pretty good. The starting salary is about $27,000. It averages about $42,000. But auto technicians do have the potential to make over six figures -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Really! Now that will get people coming to those jobs. The benefits are probably pretty good, too, huh?
VALLESE: The benefits are pretty good. Training can be done by the dealer or the manufacturer. It takes about a year and costs about $18,000. But if you are a good technician, you get that money back fairly quickly.
COSTELLO: All right. Julie Vallese live from northern Virginia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 18, 2004 - 06:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: One of the major issues in the coming presidential election is the economy, specifically jobs or lack thereof.
Julie Vallese joins us now live from northern Virginia with a look at one industry that's hanging out the help wanted sign.
Tell us about this -- Julie.
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Absolutely. It is an industry that helps fuel the economy. It is the auto industry. They say they have tens of thousands of jobs that they can fill right now. Dealers and manufacturers from coast to coast are hanging out their help wanted signs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not your father's car, not your father's garage and certainly not your father's mechanic.
JOE MILO, AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN: The old stereotype of the, you know, the grease monkey at mom and pop's gas station is gone. Today's technician is not just somebody who, you know, rebuilds or replaces parts.
VALLESE: No, they are also computer technicians. But stereotypes stick, and the Department of Labor has projected a shortage of 35,000 auto service technicians entering the field for the next six years.
DENISE PATTON PACE, AUTOMOTIVE RETAILING TODAY: It is a career and it's not a dead end. And you -- there is a career ladder there.
VALLESE: Many secondary schools have cut back on their vocational training, leaving shortages in many trade fields.
EMILY STOVER DEROCCO, ASST. SECY., EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMIN.: It is very important that we pay attention to every sector of the economy that's creating jobs. And more importantly, that we pay attention to the right education in skills development.
VALLESE: Eleven billion dollars annually has been set aside by the government to do that. But the auto industry says it is not willing to sit and wait for young people to come to them, so it's going looking for a few good men and women. LT. COL. ROBERT HOHMAN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: What we need is to just have the basic skills, again, and just be professional, dedicated to their job, dedicated to their career, dedicated to the country.
VALLESE: Not just the Marines, but all sectors of the military. A Web site links auto manufacturers, dealers, trade schools and the military to available jobs from the east to west and everywhere in between.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now as with any job, it is what you make of it. And, Carol, in the auto industry, the making is pretty good. The starting salary is about $27,000. It averages about $42,000. But auto technicians do have the potential to make over six figures -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Really! Now that will get people coming to those jobs. The benefits are probably pretty good, too, huh?
VALLESE: The benefits are pretty good. Training can be done by the dealer or the manufacturer. It takes about a year and costs about $18,000. But if you are a good technician, you get that money back fairly quickly.
COSTELLO: All right. Julie Vallese live from northern Virginia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
