Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2019 64 I n past articles we've talked about the challenge of attracting new appliance service technicians to join our industry. While there are valuable programs that are focused on skills training for displaced workers, and transition programs for folks in the military who're looking to join the workforce, the longer-term answer to today's skills shortages lies in getting the word out to young people about a relevant career that will provide them with a good living. At NASC 2018 in Las Vegas last fall, our keynote speaker was Tim Lawrence, Executive Director of SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA is a US career and technical student organization that serves more than 395,000 high school, college and middle school students and professional SkillsUSA members through training programs that prepare them for jobs in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. Teaching appliance service skills is a VERY small part of SkillsUSA's mission, but it's critical for our industry. Tim focused on the need to develop and promote Vo-Tech and trade schools to high school and college students across the country. These vocational schools have been generally very willing to take on specialized programs including appliance service. After all, it's why they exist. But the challenge is to find the instructors and raise the local support these programs need to survive and thrive. An instructor can usually be identified, but there are other areas where help is sorely needed. They include providing products that the students can get their hands on, enlisting local experts with experience in the industry (that's you, by the way), and developing opportunities through mentoring programs or "ride-alongs" with seasoned technicians. In short, there are a wide range of levels of support that are well within our ability to provide–and these opportunities can be of priceless value for our young people. Other avenues of local support that you might be able to help provide might include attending job fairs or career days at local schools. These are great opportunities to get in front of young people who are looking over the options for what they might want to do with their lives, and you can play a big part in promoting the career path you've chosen. What will you receive in return? It's no small thing to be able to make a difference in the life of a young person who's looking for a fulfilling career. You can help build and strengthen our industry, and you can help your local education institutions by promoting their programs. Last but not least, you might just be helping yourself, by developing technicians who'll want to be a part of your company. I think we can boil down Tim Lawrence's message at NASC 2018 to "Think Globally, Act Locally". We've all heard the phrase, but in our case it just makes good sense. We have a chance to impact the future of our industry and our businesses. Local schools need our help to be able to offer students this valuable training that will have a positive impact on our communities and our careers. It's a chance that should not be wasted. PSA is committed to supporting SkillsUSA and technical education across the county. We will be even more active in the coming year, and we urge all members of the appliance industry to come on board and work with their local schools. If you need information about the schools in your area, or want to contact someone for help, please let us know at rcarney@psaworld.org. APPLIANCE INDUSTRY- SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL VO-TECH SCHOOLS S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T RO Randy Carney, Executive Director, PSA

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