News

Shop Safety: Offer an Incentive Program

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019

As another new year rolls around, you may be doing some safety assessments around your shop, looking both for successes and areas where you can improve.

One important thing to address is the number of injuries or accidents that occurred in your shop in 2018. Was it more than the prior year? Or did you decrease injury rates by a significant number this year compared to last year?

If you’re seeing more accidents or near-misses and finding that injury rates are rising, or if you just want to get a better handle on workplace safety, you might consider an incentive program that rewards your staff when injury rates are low. It doesn’t have to break the bank or be extravagant. Keep in mind, though, that OSHA has regulations in place regarding workplace safety incentive programs.

Read the Full Article on BodyShop Business

News

S/P2 Adds New Course to Help Schools Meet ASE Accreditation

Tuesday, November 20th, 2018

OVERLAND PARK, KAN., Nov. 20 – S/P2 (sp2.org) has added a new course written specifically to help automotive service, maintenance and light repair, collision repair, and medium/heavy-duty truck programs meet ASE accreditation requirements.

The new course is called “Preparing a Vehicle for Service and Working with Customers.” The ASE Education Foundation Task Lists provide required a list of supplemental tasks ASE accredited schools are to meet. By providing this course to schools, S/P2 sees this as one more way they can help schools achieve and retain ASE accreditation.

“Achieving and maintaining ASE accreditation is a commitment to excellence that schools make,” said Kyle Holt, President of S/P2. “We are proud to help schools meet the required supplemental tasks on safety and environmental, personal standards, and ethics. This new course helps schools meet the tasks regarding preparing a vehicle for service and for the customer. It feels pretty good to expand our support of education and the next generation of technicians.”

“Preparing a Vehicle for Service and Working with Customers” helps students identify the information needed and the service requested on a repair order, review vehicle service history, demonstrate concern, cause, and correction in the repair process, and meet the requirement of completing a work order. It also covers topics ensuring the vehicle is prepared to return to the customer per school/company policy.

The new course has already been added, at no additional cost, to any schools with an active S/P2 Automotive or S/P2 Heavy-Duty/Diesel account. Any schools who sign up for a new S/P2 Automotive or S/P2 Heavy-Duty/Diesel account will also receive the course at no additional cost.

“Our schools are committed to improving the industry. This course is one small way we can continue to show a commitment to the future success of automotive education,” said Holt. “For those schools who have achieved or are seeking ASE accreditation, this should make their lives a little easier. For those who aren’t, it’s a valuable course they can use to help prepare students for their careers ahead.”

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About S/P2

Each year, S/P2 provides online training to more than 175,000 workers and students nationwide on industry-specific safety and pollution prevention, ethics, soft skills, and human resources topics. S/P2 also provides S/P2 Careers – a resume database of tens of thousands of entry-level technicians looking for career opportunities. S/P2 serves the automotive service, collision repair, heavy-duty/diesel, welding, construction, cosmetology, and culinary trades. For more information, visit www.sp2.org.

News

Recruiting entry-level technicians: surprising facts you may not know

Monday, November 5th, 2018

The shortage of diesel technicians has been getting plenty of attention lately and for good reason. Penske Leasing recently cited U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics which reports that 67,000 technicians will be needed just to replace retiring workers by 2022.  It will take another 75,000 new mechanics to meet the additional demand.

A company called S/P2 maintains a database of resumes from tech students looking for full-time or part-time jobs or internships.  According to, Kyle Holt, S/P2 president, of the students who have posted resumes so far, there are 12,000 interested in heavy-duty diesel maintenance, 30,000 interested in automotive repair, 12,000 interested in collision repair and 13,000 interested in a career in welding.

Fleet Owner recently had the opportunity to visit with Kyle Holt. He has some unique insights into the technician shortage and what really happens when new technical school graduates enter the marketplace looking for their first jobs.

Read the full article here. Copyright 2018 Informa. Used with permission.

News

S/P2 Joins Cengage, ASE, and TechForce Foundation in Show Your Shop Contest

Wednesday, October 10th, 2018

The race for top shop is in full effect and it’s your chance to submit your institution’s automotive lab to the Show Your Shop contest.

This year, S/P2 is getting in on the action by partnering with Cengage, ASE, and TechForce Foundation to add to the scholarships students can receive!

This is a great opportunity for automotive, collision, and diesel career tech programs to show off their shop and their students.

We’re Kicking It Up a Notch

Not only will this year’s grand prize winner receive our standard $1,000 Cengage TechForce scholarship and ASE Swag Bag, but the second-place winner will receive a $500 Cengage S/P2 scholarship to present to the student of their choosing.

Check out last year’s winning submission from Westfield Technical Academy to see how it’s done and submit today!

News

Thousands of entry-level technicians seeking jobs on new resume site

Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

Just when you thought finding technicians looking for careers in heavy-duty diesel or automotive maintenance was about as likely as finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, here comes a company called S/P2 with a database of thousands of career tech students looking for jobs. No kidding.

Tech students looking for full-time or part-time jobs or internships are listing their resumes on the new S/P2 Careers site.  According to company president, Kyle Holt, of the students who have posted resumes so far, there are 10,000 interested in heavy-duty diesel maintenance, 26,000 interested in automotive repair, 11,000 interested in collision repair and 12,000 interested in a career in welding.

 

Read the full article here. Copyright 2018 Informa.  Used with permission.

News

S/P2 CAREERS HITS 40,000 RESUMES – HELPING SHOPS ADDRESS THE TECHNICIAN SHORTAGE

Wednesday, September 12th, 2018

OVERLAND PARK, KAN., Sept. 12 – S/P2 Careers (sp2.org) reached a milestone this week as it surpassed 40,000 resumes in its S/P2 Careers system. The S/P2 Careers resume database is fueled by career tech students looking for full-time, part-time, and internship opportunities as entry-level technicians.

“We were confident that we had something special here, but we didn’t realize we would hit this milestone so quickly,” said Kyle Holt, S/P2 President. “This is very promising for the shops, dealerships, and employers out there who need these techs. It’s fulfilling to attack the technician shortage by helping automotive companies find entry-level technician candidates, and helping career tech students find the right first employer.”

Of the students who have posted their resumes on S/P2 Careers so far, more than 26,000 are interested in automotive service, 11,000 are interested in collision repair, 10,000 are interested in heavy-duty/diesel, and 12,000 are interested in welding career opportunities.

“We are excited to see the volume of resumes that keep coming in because it’s a win-win for everyone. Businesses that are committed to training, to safety, and to growing their own techs can be matched with entry-level technicians as they transition into their career,” said Holt. “S/P2 is focused on helping fill the technician gap.”

Shops can start recruiting the career tech students who are on S/P2 Careers for as little as $100. They can search for candidates based on industry segment, geography, high school vs. post-secondary, and many other filters. Businesses can reach out to candidates about opportunities at their facility, as well as post jobs that career tech students can apply for.

“The next generation of technicians is out there, just waiting to be found on S/P2 Careers,” said Holt. “This is a way we can all do a better job of helping students enter and stay in the industry.”

News

S/P2 AND CARS COOPERATIVE PARTNER TO HELP SHOPS FILL THE TECHNICIAN GAP

Thursday, September 6th, 2018

OVERLAND PARK, KAN., Sept. 6 – S/P2 (sp2.org) and CARS Cooperative (cars.coop) have partnered to provide CARS members with access to the S/P2 Careers database of entry-level technician candidates across the country. Each CARS member will receive $100 in S/P2 Careers credits that they can use to recruit students who are in or have recently graduated from automotive career tech programs.

“Our members are affected by the technician shortage just like the rest of the industry,” said Matt Boyles, Executive Director of CARS Cooperative. “By giving our members access to S/P2 Careers, we’re able to provide a benefit that can help them find the techs they need.”

Of the students who have posted their resumes on S/P2 Careers so far, more than 30,000 are interested in automotive service, collision repair, and heavy-duty/diesel career opportunities.

“This is a great partnership,” said Kyle Holt, President of S/P2. “Matt Boyles is passionate about helping his members find the technicians they need, and attacking the technician shortage head-on. The CARS members add over 500 employers that can provide great career opportunities to entry-level technicians across the US. We’re excited to work with Matt and the CARS members to help them find candidates near them.”

CARS provides buying power, discounts, rebates, and rewards to its member collision repair facilities in 29 states across the country.

“We’re proud of the work we do to help our members,” Dr. Boyles said. “This is the number one issue our industry faces, and CARS is dedicated to helping our members find technicians. It’s good for our members, and it’s good for the industry.”

 

About S/P2

Each year, S/P2 provides online training to more than 175,000 workers and students nationwide on industry-specific safety and pollution prevention, ethics, soft skills, and human resources topics. S/P2 serves the automotive service, collision repair, heavy-duty/diesel, welding, construction, cosmetology, and culinary trades. S/P2 also provides S/P2 Careers – a resume database of tens of thousands of career tech students looking for career opportunities in their field of study. For more information, visit www.sp2.org.

 

About CARS Cooperative

CARS Cooperative is a stock-issuing business cooperative that brings collision repair facilities together with vendors and suppliers to gain discounts, rebates, rewards, and training on products and services used in their shops. CARS is a member-shareholder based national organization serving the collision industry since 1992. Their shareholders represent the best automotive collision shops and related businesses throughout the United States. www.cars.coop.

News

S/P2 Invitations – Let Your Students/Employees Add Themselves In Your Account

Tuesday, August 14th, 2018

You don’t have to upload student lists or add users one-by-one any more. S/P2’s new “Invitations” feature makes it super easy to add users to your account by inviting your students or staff to set up their own log in credentials, and to automatically be assigned the courses you want them to receive.

Check out the video below (only 1:54) that shows you how to use the new Invitations feature. You can also use the downloadable instructions to help you.

S/P2 Invitations – Let Your Students/Employees Add Themselves In Your Account

With the new Invitations feature, things just got a whole lot easier!

 

News

S/P2 Featured on Podcast “Helping Entry-Level Technicians Enter and Stay in the Industry”

Tuesday, August 14th, 2018

Kyle Holt, President of S/P2, was featured on the Remarkable Results Radio podcast – one of the leading podcasts for the automotive industry.

Kyle was interviewed by Remarkable Results Radio’s host, Carm Caprioto, about how S/P2 works to help entry-level technicians enter and stay in the industry – including topics on the S/P2 Careers resume database and the S/P2 Workplace Mentoring system that helps train and track the progress of entry-level techs.

Carm and Kyle discuss the challenges of finding technicians, the industry movement towards growing your own technicians, and how to implement an easy-to-use mentoring system within your business.

Listen to the podcast here.

 

 

News

ASA Hosts Road to Great Technicians Webinar With CARQUEST’s Chris Chesney

Sunday, August 5th, 2018

On June 20, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) hosted a webinar called “The Road to Great Technicians” with Chris Chesney, senior director of customer training for the CARQUEST Technical Institute.

After ASA Vice President Tony Molla introduced the webinar’s presenter, Chesney recounted his collaboration with the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) to identify the Road to Great Technicians. They began in March 2016 when NASTF’s Spring General Meeting focused on the topic of building a road to great technicians.

This Road to Great Technicians team consists of NASTF Chair Mark Saxonberg, Toyota’s Jill Saunders, WTI’s Rob Morrell, CTI’s Chris Chesney, NACAT’s Bill Haas, of Diag.net’s Scott Brown, WTI’s Mark Warren, NASTF’s Donny Seyfer, ASE’s Trish Serratore, S/P2’s Kyle Holt, DrewTech’s Bob Augustine and Cengage’s Erin Brennan.

View the full article on AutobodyNews.com

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