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Demand for technicians continues to outpace supply by nearly 3 to 1

Industry must focus on increasing awareness of career opportunities
that exist for new entrant mechanical and collision technicians

Phoenix— TechForce Foundation has released its 2020 Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report that reveals the transportation technician shortage continues to worsen.

“Although demand is strong, with 642,000 auto/diesel/collision techs needed between 2020 and 2024, the shortage continues to worsen,” said Jennifer Maher, TechForce CEO. “The good news is these careers have been deemed essential by the government, and the transportation industry is organizing to do something about the shortage. TechForce’s campaigns are leveraging the industry’s collective voice to inspire the next generation of technicians and address the root causes of the shortage.”

Based on the historical data cited in the prior report, the downward trend is shown in the charts above and below.

The report supplements the foundation’s previous reports, adjusting prior projections to reflect research from the National Center for Education Statistics and TechForce’s own analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Citing both increasing demand for professional techs and a declining supply of new techs entering the industry, the update concludes that the technician shortage is increasing in severity despite a slight uptick in new post-secondary degrees and certificates for future diesel technicians.

Recent surveys show an increased interest in transportation technology work, both among younger students and career changers whose jobs may have been lost or furloughed because of the pandemic. Surveys of high school students show that more than half are open to something other than a four-year degree.

According to TechForce Director of National Initiatives Greg Settle, who authored the report, “Our projections do not reflect potential impact from the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we are seeing indications of increased interest in technical program enrollments. With our next report at year-end, we expect to be able to provide further insight into Covid-19 related trends.”

The 2020 Technician Supply & Demand Report can be downloaded here.

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