How Caliber's Training Program Gives Technicians a Purposeful Career

Eddie Hightower, Senior Vice President, Sustainability & Social Responsibility - Caliber Collision

Love the episode? Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Skilled talent is in high demand - in every industry. Caliber Collision is facing the shortage in the automotive collision repair industry, where they estimate 30% of the market needs are being unmet due to a lack of technicians.

Eddie Hightower heads up Caliber's sustainability & social responsibility efforts, which includes the company's Technician Apprentice Program, designed to address the shortage of trained technicians in the industry.

We sat down with Eddie to learn just what makes this program so successful that its enrollment has taken off in the few short years since its launch. Discover the keys to a successful workforce training program - including mentorship, company culture, and working alongside education.

Plus, hear the newest advancements in the automotive industry that will impact the skills our nation's technicians will need in the coming years.

3 Big Takeaways from this episode:

  1. Initiatives like Caliber's Technician Apprentice Program lift the entire industry up: "What if I invest in training my people, and then they go work somewhere else?" We hear this all the time from companies who don't offer employee training. Caliber does just the opposite. They're not afraid to invest an entire year training individuals to become automotive technicians - even if that person leaves - because they understand the value of lifting up the entire industry. And what they find is that the positive impact the training program leaves on those individuals is more than enough to keep them working at Caliber after they complete the program.
  2. Automotive Technician is truly a STEAM career: Eddie calls them "the artisans of Caliber." There's an art to automotive collision repair that requires creativity, on top of the technical skills you'd normally think of. Companies like caliber need the artistic students just as much as the technical ones, which is why STEAM programs can be a great pathway for students to find a creative outlet and a career.
  3. The evolution of automotive technology will require technicians to continue training throughout their careers: College automotive programs and apprenticeship programs like Caliber's can do a great job launching the career of an individual, but the learning can't stop there. Eddie shares some of the ongoing developments in the automotive industry - like sensors, batteries and EV technology - that will require technicians to gain new skills throughout the course of their career.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about the Caliber Technician Apprentice Program.

Connect with Caliber online:

LinkedIn  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  X

What our listeners are saying

I needed this podcast back when I was in High School!

Such great content that deserves more attention at all level of education. I wish I heard some of these episodes when I was navigating my own career path. Incredible guests, with incredible messages to share. Keep up the great work!

Compelling

I find Matt's approach to be very compelling. He brings both perspectives, industry AND education. He doesn't hold back on what he thinks is important...

The #1 podcast in TechEd

This podcast is a great resource to keep up with all the exciting changes in the world of manufacturing and technology. Get key insight from industry leaders from the Midwest and around the globe that you won’t find anywhere else. A must listen for anyone interested in how technology is changing the way businesses operate.

Inspiring topics featuring inspiring leaders

I’ve listened to most of your weekly podcasts and enjoy listening to the stories and conversations that feature business and education leaders from Wisconsin. Kudos to you for creating a platform that presents ideas and success stories that are important to Career and Technical Education teachers and leaders.

Best Career and TechEd Podcast

There are a lot of education podcasts out there. This is the only one that really focuses on bringing together voices from inside AND outside education and focuses specifically on STEM and Career/Tech Ed. This is a great podcast for anyone in education and also for anyone who employs STEM or skilled-trades talent in their workforce.

Filling in Gaps

This show spotlights a large and growing aspect of education that doesn’t get enough attention. Practical and technical education is a field growing exponentially. This podcast Highlights many of the facets of this diverse field.

The pulse of Industry 4.0

This podcast has its fingers on the pulse of Industry 4.0, and Matt K. is a phenomenal guide, traversing the complexities of manufacturing and education in one forum. A+ work all around!

New and Exciting Content With Every Episode

I really enjoy listening to this podcast when I'm driving or have a free moment. Each episode brings a new guest with a fresh and exciting perspective of both education and the workforce!

Fantastic Topics on the Future of Industry

These podcasts are the best for learning about current and future technology. The stories are great. We need more of these interviews.

Become a Subscriber

Subscribe & leave a review on your favorite podcast platform