Extend Performance, the automotive-focused marketing communications branch of the EXTEND Group, has announced the formation of its Technician.Academy.
Shawn Collins, EXTEND Group founder and CEO, commented, “We’re brand installers, and effective how-to training is key to successfully instilling brand-loyalty among automotive technicians. We’re so committed to our proven, award-winning process, we’re investing in the technicians of today and tomorrow with the planned launch of Technician.Academy.” According to Collins, “Technician.Academy will be category-based, which aligns itself perfectly with the numerous application-specific careers that are created inside today’s service bays. We’re looking for brands that understand the technician drives their spreadsheets — big-picture brands, willing to cater to their technicians-as-customers by providing on-going, expert-level category training. If your company’s chosen to come on board, we’ll handle all the logistics.”
Extend Performance plans to select one brand per product category to join the Technician.Academy. Vetting this program is ASE Master Technician Richard Young, a professional with more than 30 years of experience. Young is known industry-wide for his expertise in service/repair, groundbreaking training, content development for aftermarket professionals and brand promotion. The hundreds of online training videos he has created and hosted have been seen by more than 5 million viewers. Young is firm in his belief that quality training benefits the entire aftermarket industry. “I do not understand how a manufacturer or distributor can complain about improperly installed or misdiagnosed product returns when they don’t offer any training to the installer,” he said. “True technicians enjoy the challenge of repairing the vehicle that no one else can, and continued education helps accomplish that goal.”
Product distributors also are invited to be a part of Technician.Academy. For information, and the opportunity to complete a Request For Information (RFI), click here. The RFI will be available through May 2016. Production for the endeavor begins June 1.
“Today’s technician is a member of the most tech-savvy generation in history. Interestingly, the millennial technician is also extremely brand loyal. However, that loyalty must be earned,” Collins said. “One of the most important ways Technician.Academy will procure respect for the brands represented in each category is through manufacturer-specific, branded, pro-to-pro, online training provided by seasoned technicians with real-life experience in the auto bay.”
In addition to the online video training available, Technician.Academy also will offer how-to sessions in-shop, plus in-class instruction at select institutions, as well as the creation and distribution of professional-level content.
Collins and his team are familiar with research that supports the need for Technician.Academy. According to an industry survey, more than 36 percent of millennial technicians report a lack of access to the training “they need,” while 51 percent of the same demographic say there’s a void in the area of “quality” training. “Technician.Academy will engage and inform automotive technicians in ways that help them on the job — including reducing comebacks. In return, they’ll equate partnering brands with quality and reliability,” Collins added.
