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By the Numbers: Looking for 167,000 new apprentices
Stats that put the North American automotive aftermarket into perspective.
167,000
Number of new apprentices that will be needed in the top Red Seal trades across Canada within the next five year.
Canadian Apprenticeship Forum Apprentice Demand study
84 million
Number of vehicles expected to be on North American roads in 2023 that are at least 16 years old. That’s a 240% increase from the 35 million such vehicles on roads in 2002.
IHS Markit
80%
Percentage of winter tire owners that believe winter tires have saved them from a hazardous driving situation such as loss of control or a collision.
Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, Canadian Consumer Winter Tire Study
Top 3
Genesis, Kia, and Hyundai took the first, second and third slots for the second straight year in an “Initial Quality Study.” They had the fewest defects such as problems with advanced safety systems. Land Rover and Jaguar were at the bottom of the list
J.D. Power
2.0%
Real GDP growth expected for Canada in 2019, a slight drop from 2018, and a significant drop from 2017’s G7-leading 3.2% growth. Average annual GDP growth in Canada since the 2008 recession has been 2.4%.
Statistics Canada, BuildForce Canada 2019 Report
3 million
Total number of Detroit-3 vehicles expected to disappear from the U.S. vehicle count between 2018 and 2022, despite a surge of more than 22 million in the light vehicle population during that time.
Lang Marketing
< 2 hours
The maximum time it should take to achieve full EV charging, according to 59% of consumers. Only 11% are OK with a charging time of between four and eight hours. Consumer demand for faster charging has increased in recent years.
Investor’s Business Daily
359,015
Total number of people working in 15 occupations in the light vehicle aftermarket across Canada in 2017. This number is expected to increase to 407,042 (13.4 percent) by 2022.
AIA Canada, Labour Market Watch 2018
46,000
Anticipated shortfall in the number of automotive service technicians in the U.S. by 2026, due to increasing consumer demand. Additionally, about 75,000 technicians will have retired by then.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
35%
Percentage of technicians who find BMW/Mini a difficult brand to perform repairs on. Mercedes (31%) and Land Rover (25%) followed. Least problematic were Isuzu, Hyundai, Honda/Acura, and GM – all at 2%.
Martec Group
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I am an automotive service repair center owner. 2nd generation for almost 60 years I total. Over the past 15 years the signs of declining interest in the auto trade have been apparent. Not only we, as business owners but dealers and the government should be concerned. We have to find a way to attract today’s youth into the trade. Actually all trades. The visible trend is that most business just want a warm body. Someone to fill a bay. This attitude has also led to a fear of losing an employee which has led poorly qualified tecs. The question we ask now is “where can I find a replacement”. It has also led to declining quality of repair, in some shops, leading to customer dissatisfaction. The pressure on the few good individuals, weather at a small shop or dealership is immense. There is not enough of them to carry the load. I don’t see the declining numbers changing and what I believe may happen is a drastic rise in labour cost which will lead to higher door rates to offset the cost of labour. We need to act now. The change is happening rapidly. Think of what the future would look like without or very few trades people. Maybe seeking candidates out of province or country might be the next step but is that really the solution to a growing problem. Time will tell.