TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Charlie Crist has issued a proclamation to The Florida Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) for citizens to observe Automotive Career Month in the State of Florida for April 2007. Students from schools across the state will converge on auto dealerships to learn more about the rapidly expanding career opportunities in the auto industry, as part of the nationwide Automotive Career Month, sponsored by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).
The goal of Automotive Career Month is to bring students into the dealerships to consider careers and ease staffing shortages that currently plague the auto industry. There are more than 104,000 job openings in dealerships nationwide, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Automotive Retailing Today. Positions with high income potential can be found can be found in almost every dealership throughout the state, including such fields as: Sales, Service and Repair, Finance, Marketing, and Administration.
Dealers are opening their dealerships to students for "behind-the-scenes" tours to see first-hand how the business operates in all areas. Students will have the opportunity to interact directly with dealership employees and glean insight into potential career opportunities.
"Many young people and their parents are surprised to learn that dealerships offer such a wide variety of outstanding career opportunities," said Ted Smith, FADA president. "Our dealers are thrilled to have a chance to share their experiences with the students, and we hope that many will end up strongly considering careers in our industry."
To help meet the demand for service technicians, FADA has been the driving force behind an effort to establish the industry's Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) school-to-career initiative throughout Florida.
The AYES program provides high school students with the technical education necessary to service today's automobiles and to overcome some of the stereotypes that may lead students, parents and school guidance counselors to reject careers in the automotive industry. Today's automobiles contain an average of 17 different computer systems and seven miles of wiring, and with the advent of hybrid vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells, the skill levels necessary are constantly increasing.
FADA hopes to grow their AYES program through events such as Career Month, so students statewide are given the opportunity to explore careers in the auto industry. For information on NADA's Career Month, visit http://www.nada.org/careers, or contact Robin Spillias, 850.224.1466.