Stellantis Layoffs, Tooltech Show, Youth Apprenticeship Advancement Act

Braxton Critcher [00:00:05]:
Welcome to Automotive Repair news today. I'm Braxton Critcher.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:09]:
The US Senate Committee on Health, Education.

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Labor, and Pensions or Help, a subcommittee of employment and workplace Safety, held a.

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Hearing to evaluate the impact and challenges.

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Of youth apprenticeship programs. They also discussed the potential of the Youth Apprenticeship Advancement act to address these issues.

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Supported by the Automotive Service Association, ASa.

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ASA emphasized the importance of such programs.

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In addressing the growing need for automotive.

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Technicians, particularly in light of the increasing demand for electric vehicle EV technology. Despite substantial government investment in EV research and development, independent repair shops struggle to keep pace due to a lack of funding for training and equipment.

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The proposed Youth Apprenticeship Advancement act, funded by H one B, hopes to address these challenges by providing $100 million annually over five years to expand workforce training programs for apprentices ages 16 through 22. Stalantis, the parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, and others, announced they're laying off approximately 400 salaried employees across the US, primarily in engineering, technology, and software units. This amounts to about 2% of employees in these sectors nationwide. The layoffs are effective March 31, with the company citing the need to enhance efficiency and optimize its cost structure. These actions align with Solantis's strategic plan, dare forward 2030, aimed at boosting profits and doubling revenue to €300 billion by 2030. The company emphasized the importance of implementing its EV products and long term strategic goals.

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Tanner Brandt, president of Autodiac Clinic, said, this isn't all about cutting costs, but.

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A shift in focus for Stalantis.

Tanner Brandt [00:02:05]:
They're basically scaling back on what they're doing with mechanical stuff or ice engine stuff and going, okay, well, now we need, because we're trying to get into EV. Maybe we need electrical engineers, or we need software engineers or whatever that looks like.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:19]:
Apex is restructuring its training and selection process for this year's event, held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 5 through the 7th this year, and for the first time, organizers are giving more freedom to educators and speakers at the event. From class lengths to topics. Instructors are afforded new flexibilities, allowing them to provide education opportunities for the automotive aftermarket. Unlike previous events, this news creates a buz for the event coming in the fall for greater learning and networking opportunities. Again, the event is scheduled this year for November 5 through the 7th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dormant Products has released a few new parts that promise to save money for shops and car owners and makes repairs easier on technicians. Lester Kovacs, director of ideation at Dormant.

Lester Kovacs [00:03:12]:
Products, explains direct replacement armrests for 2010 to 14 gm trucks, where previously you had to buy a whole entire expensive panel. So we give the end user, whether it's a technician or diYer, a way to make that part now serviceable. The other big one is we've added transmission pan, and this is another really cool one. So on these newer vehicles, the original equipment manufacturer transmission Pan has a non serviceable filter. Our line of transmission pans has a unique serviceable filter. On a subsequent service, you can now service the filter instead of having to replace the whole entire expensive transmission pan.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:51]:
Tooltech is coming up April 22 through 24th in Newport Beach, California, a show normally designed for automotive tool manufacturers. This year, for just the second time, independent shop owners are invited to attend. This year's event covers cybersecurity updates, AI and automotive, and an open panel of shop owners to discuss the state of the industry and more. To sign up, visit etools.org. Automotive repair shops throughout San Antonio, Texas are experiencing a welcome alleviation in parts costs per report by KSAT Twelve the spike in part prices began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when oil and filter prices doubled, but that's starting to change. Why part availability this enhanced availability doesn't just benefit repair shops, but extends to used car lots as well. Computer chip shortages and union strikes disrupted new car availability, prompting a surge in consumer interest in the used car market. Recent insights from Cox Automotive indicate a decline in used vehicle prices nationwide in February, and as the prices of vehicle parts continue to decline, a ripple effect on used vehicle prices should be expected, hopefully not just for Texas, but across the US.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:14]:
Brian Walker of shop marketing pros and Chris Enwight of Enright Automotive will host an eight hour workshop to empower shop owners, techs and service advisors with effective video marketing strategies. The training is April 13 from eight to five at LNN Automotive in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Additional networking events are available, including a dinner on April 13 and a networking event on the 14th. Registration can be found@shopmarketingpros.com. I'm Braxton Critcher and thanks so much for listening to automotive repair news today. To submit a news story for consideration on this podcast, email braxton@automotiverepairnews.com. That's braxton@automotiverepairnews.com. To help grow the podcast, please like, comment and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform and give us a follow on social media for additional content not included in this show.

Stellantis Layoffs, Tooltech Show, Youth Apprenticeship Advancement Act
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