BEACHWOOD, Ohio — Despite high unemployment across the state, there is still a major shortage of auto technicians in Ohio.
As Brittany Kovatch sands part of a car, she’s doing something she’s always been interested in.
"Actually my dad, he’s done like a lot of different things on cars, so that’s what I grew up around," said Kovatch. “I like hands on and just doing something different.”
After the 25-year-old finishes, she heads into the classroom at Matrix Trade Institute. Today’s lesson: painting.
“We’re actually learning the variables that’s in the paint and stuff and that, so picking out which car is which and the year, and then figuring out what all things will go into it to make the color of the paint.”
She’s one of several students enrolled at the the trade school that offers auto mechanic and technician training, where Kovatch says the class treats one another like family.
"We all actually just come together and learn things and try to help each other out," said Kovatch. “We call ourselves the dream team. So we do a lot of good things and we’ve experienced a lot so far, and we got a couple more months to go, but I believe we’re going to be a great class.”
Dustin Peugeot is the co-founder, and he says despite recent economic woes, the industry is still trying to fill positions.
“Most shops are still looking for technicians; the industry is still grossly underfunded relative to number of technicians who are able to fill the jobs that open in the industry both on the collision side and on the automotive repair side.”
Peugeot heads out of his office because he’d rather be out interacting with students, proud the school recently won the Moving Business Forward contest.
“It really sort of substantiated our original goal, which is to make a difference for young people who needed careers, industries who needed recruits into their careers, and an overall development of a trade.”
Each student at Matrix gets their own tool set, which they get to take with them to their first job after graduation.
And for Kovatch, who’s getting ready to get back to working the machines, it’s not just about finding the right career, it's about encouraging more women to join a field that’s been traditionally male dominated.
"Being a female, it’s very different for the industry, so I kind of want to start something new and get the girls out and do something more manly," Kovatch said “I’m trying to get it out to basically tell the girls like, ‘We can do it, too’ and it’s not just for guys.”
A school, not just training students to put cars, but also their futures on the road to success.