LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Joseph Schumacher’s fascination with cars started before his childhood car collection. And a new apprenticeship program is giving him hands-on experience in a virtual world.
“My grandfather, he had a few older classic cars, and I was always interested in how they worked and how he got them to where they are today,” says Schumacher.
Schumacher is getting his own hands dirty in an express shop at a car dealership, often with the help of a virtual reality headset and controllers.
The 19-year-old found this opportunity through the Automotive Apprenticeship Group. AAG is a two-year program that trains people to get their national certification as automotive or diesel technicians.
Pathways into parts, sales, and customer service are also offered. AAG covers the cost of tools, uniforms and tuition — and provides apprentices with a laptop.
“I was gonna go to college originally, but then again, this is a debt-free program and you will save quite the amount of money learning on the job with no debt,” said Schumacher. “It’s quite rare to see something like that, so kind of want to take the opportunity while you have it.”
AAG’s mentored apprenticeship program was a golden ticket for 21-year-old Robert Kitten, who was looking for a way to shift gears.
“I was going to school for like computer science and stuff and realized that I didn’t enjoy that. I was like I want to do something more hands and boom—I was able to get my way into cars and working on cars,” Kitten said.
Before stepping into a shop, he learned how to raise a car, check oil and coolant levels, and change a tire using VR training.
“It’s very, very real realistic,” says Kitten. “VR kind of helped me boost my experience, even though I really hadn’t done anything in person and it let me learn without the consequences of like messing up.”
Besides VR training, apprentices complete lab instruction, on-demand e-learning, and hands-on experience through full-time employment in shops in their community.
AAG operations manager Kim Payne said they are helping to address the great demand for technicians.
“Go try to make an appointment at your local dealership just to get an oil change on your car. They’re backed up weeks, and it’s because there’s just there’s more demand and there are technicians,” says Payne. “We’ve seen studies that have shown that for every five technicians leaving the industry, only one is coming in behind them.”
Payne calls it a secure job. For Schumacher, it’s a rewarding career.
“You can kind of place it as this is your car you’re working on. Once you’re finished doing that, and you know that your car is doing what it’s supposed to, you feel a sense of accomplishment. You feel like you did something good for that customer,” says Schumacher.
For more information about AAG’s program, click here.