NASHVILLE Tenn. — The Technology & Maintenance Council said it is launching a new effort to attract more technicians to the industry and improve their training.
TMC's “educator committee” will work to persuade technical schools and regulators to become “engaged and involved” in the effort to attract technicians, outgoing TMC Chairman Kirk Altrichter said at a March 9 press conference here.
“Not everybody is destined for college or the military — and there are other options,” Altrichter said.
The committee, composed of fleets and educators that work with technical schools, will hold its first organizational meeting during the TMC's conference.
Plans call for the committee to review technical schools’ curricula and attempt to enlist educators in helping promote the value of becoming a diesel technician, which can be high-paying and rewarding, Altrichter said.
“We will work with the service providers to fully understand what the needs are to get a more balanced approach for technicians that are coming out of the schools,” he said.