Using Knowledge Anywhere’s eLearning system, NewFordTech’s ACE program has grown about 80% in the last year. So how did Ford get so much growth? To find out, let’s meet the players and the situation….
Background
Ford Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) is a partnership program between Ford Motor Company, Ford/Lincoln dealerships, and secondary and postsecondary educational institutions. The intent of the program is to raise awareness and increase interest in career opportunities within the automotive industry, ultimately as a trained service technician.
Challenges
With hundreds of involved dealerships and schools in all 50 states across the country, Ford needed an effective system that could consistently train people about Ford’s brand, automotive repair, and modern vehicle technology. This program needed to be flexible enough to account for time changes, flexible student schedules, and a variety of experience levels.
In general, the manufacturing and service industry is also facing an increasingly shrinking labor force, with a growing skills gap. According to the NADA Foundation, there will be a projected shortage of 370,000 auto service technicians by the year 2026. The candidate pool is lessening, with fewer people choosing to go into post-secondary vocational programs. This creates a gap in the industry for high-quality automobile training. Even one generation ago, auto-shop and metal-shop were common, core classes in high school, which taught students hands-on knowledge about the industry. Since schools have cut funding drastically to these types of “elective” programs, there is far less formal training, awareness, and interest in the subject amongst young professionals.
With time comes new technology. Ford is constantly evolving to keep up with the new trends and advancements of the current day. They needed a program that was adaptable and could get a large amount of learners up to date on new systems, even if they come out every day. Old training is ineffective, and what was used even a few years ago can be deemed inapplicable today.
Solutions
To face these challenges, the ACE program leveraged the power of Knowledge Anywhere’s eLearning technology to train a new generation in the automotive industry, using the same platform as bonafide and trained professionals.
This partnership has created a Win – Win – Win – Win solution, helping Ford Motor Company, Knowledge Anywhere, ACE students, Ford and Lincoln dealerships all around North America. In this situation, Ford Motor Company gets to recruit young talent, who leave ACE with a relevant skillset and knowledge of Ford’s brand. For Knowledge Anywhere, they form new partnerships and reach new audiences across America. For ACE students, there are opportunities for career advancements and training within professional systems. Ford and Lincoln dealerships have access to trained and certified young professionals after graduation.
This program consists of a Learning Management System (LMS), which hosts customized training modules and specialty training in areas such as New Model Training, Electrical Systems, Steering & Suspension and Brakes. Certificates can be printed after each course is completed.
“Through access to our custom-tailored content and training, young adults find that a career as
Paul Peters, ACE Program Coordinator
an automotive technician can be exciting, challenging, and rewarding. In today’s world, the
percentage of young adults that are aware of career opportunities in the skilled trades has been
shrinking. ACE provides these individuals with that information and the opportunity to begin a
career with the local Ford or Lincoln dealership.”
In addition to the online eLearning, Ford’s ACE program offers something equally as important; mentorship, guidance, and ongoing relationships between students and their local dealerships. Although the program is national, fostering these local relationships adds a personal touch, which gives the students a chance to network within their own community. The Ford Motor Company focuses on a grassroots approach to grow the automotive service technician trade, where dealers build relationships with their local automotive schools and communities.
Because not every area of America is the same, with the same needs, local dealerships have a lot of input in the ACE program. They have a relationship with sponsoring schools, and have a hand in how online courses developed and shaped. They have the power to tell schools what they’re looking for and which skills are needed to develop, based on the area they live in. This level of influence is powerful.
New Ford Tech serves as the umbrella that provides educational, outreach and resources that build and support a foundation for a career as a professional technician. The ACE program is a part of FordNewTech along with all school outreach – ACE covers donations coming out of Ford on behalf of the dealer, Knowledge Anywhere’s online learning platform, school and sponsoring dealer collaborations, and any regionally available resources, dependent on what’s available in each location.
The ACE program started with an official launch in the summer of 2018. At the beginning, the main communication of the program came from Ford directly, with a high focus on internal communication, as well as relationships in Ford/Lincoln dealerships and trained professionals. As the program gained traction, participating schools and Lincoln dealerships became the face of the brand and acted as ambassadors of the roll out, reaching out to communities, auto technicians, and students on a school level, classroom level, and individual level. These local players, such as teachers, students, principals, and dealerships, also incorporated their feedback, so they became a part of the design and custom-tailored content.
In a move designed to expand the outreach of the program, foster relationships, and promote lifelong learning, Ford enlisted the help of field teams across the country. Regionally based, they are able to build relationships right there where people are, with knowledge of the area, dealers, and schools. This has accelerated the program, given human faces to the brand, and allows Ford ACE to be in multiple places at once.
Benefits For Students
Through Knowledge Anywhere’s Learning Management System (LMS), which uses the same technology to teach certified professionals, as well as students signed up for the program. This is intended to shrink the growing skills gap and train a new generation in the automotive industry, using the same platform as bonafide professionals. This can benefit students in the following ways:
- Gain Skills and Bulk Up Resumes
Graduating with more than a school on your resume is powerful – it shows real world experience and know-how. This program gives students the means to get hands-on with subject matter not covered in traditional classrooms. - Get Competitive
It’s difficult to hire interns right now – companies are preparing for a recession, working virtually, and cutting costs. The fact that ACE is still up and running via a comprehensive online platform means that these internships and apprenticeships just became that more valuable and will set participants apart from the crowd when they complete the program or want to start job hunting in the future. - Network, Network, Network
It’s not just about learned skillset. According to GreatBusinessSchools.org, networking is the most effective of all employment sources, with 46% of people getting their current position through networking. It’s never too early to start meeting people and making connections. - Potentially Receive Future-Resistant Employment
Right now, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the job market. Global viruses and automated technology have most people fearful for their job security. And while we can’t know what’s coming next or how it will impact everyone, there are a few jobs that have more security than others. Covid-19 showed us that trade school workers are the backbone of society and are considered essential. Job security holds real power and can be a proven investment.
Results
While the program is ongoing and numbers continue to incline, we’ve already seen massive advancements in the ACE program. In 2019 alone, the program grew 80%! As of April 2023, participants now represent 1,312 sponsored schools in all 50 states around the country.
While the program is ongoing and numbers continue to incline, we’ve already seen massive advancements in the ACE program. To see the stats, check out our infographic below, and to learn more about the program, go to https://www.newfordtech.com/ and follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @newfordtech.
