Keith Browning Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 If you are still actively attending Ford training classes here in the US some of you might have noticed that a lot of training centers have been closed. They are still falling. Here in NJ we recently lost our Somerset location and I just learned that the Mount Laural location near Philadelphia is next. In talking to the instructor I learneded that more may fall. This is not just for economic reasons either. Falling enrollment is the primary reason for this. The number of technicians on class waiting lists have drastically fallen to nearly half of what there used to be. When the Yonkers and Boston centers barely have enough classes filled to keep one of thierer classrooms going it says something. So what is it? Are we all trained? Are there fewer technicians? Are dealers not sending technicians to school unless they need someone to be certified? It just seems odd that with technician competency requirements that there aren't more classes being filled. Another observation I have made is that the attendees at the last several classes are mostly older guys, not young up and coming technicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchan68 Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Keith, I think you just answered your own question very well if you read over carefully everything you just posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbl35 Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 It would be nice if ford would permit techs from outside of dealers ti attend coarses-not just fleet shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted October 12, 2012 Author Share Posted October 12, 2012 It would be nice if ford would permit techs from outside of dealers ti attend courses-not just fleet shops. I can think of reasons for and against. If Ford opened up it's classrooms to the public they could generate revenue, perhaps enough to keep the training centers open. But, this would require the pre-requisite web training. I think the combination would be cost prohibitive for many people. Companies and fleets could afford it. But, Ford does have a responsibility to it's dealers to maintain some sort of proprietary access. After all, the dealerships are SUPPOSED to be the experts offering factory trained technicians and OEM parts. If it gets to the point where most of the technician body has to board an airplane to take a class I fear that training will become unattractive. Competency or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Clayton Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 I need about 4 classes to be cert. in gas driveability, hope the classrooms are plentiful in NC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Our training center in Pittsburgh recently closed up. No idea what the reasoning behind this is. I went to a few classes where I was not only the youngest guy but also the only senior master. There are plenty of techs out there that don't have all the certs. I also noticed there are no up and coming technicians (like I'd consider myself). I graduated ASSET 2008 with 8 guys and including myself, only 2 are still with ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbudge Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Our local (Winnipeg) training center has lost it's full time instructor, now instructors come in as required to put on courses as required, which is not very often. The reason given for all of this was lack of demand. The problem the way I see it is any new hires are required to take massive amounts of training just to become eligible to go to a classroom course, then are waitlisted forever to get to the classroom. Unfortunately, most new hires, which are usually kids right out of school, are not that interested in going to school, and why would you when you can make more money with less headaches (warranty) at practially any other shop. I don't have an answer to this problem, but I suspect a complete cultural change is going to be part of the solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Clayton Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 I just referred Bsawdy55 to this site. He came to the dealer about a year out of high school and was doing pretty good. I got him headed in the right direction with web based training and told him what to expect at the classes. I left the shop, he got thrown to the flat rate wolves, the bottom of the shop fell out, ect. I'm not sure what's in his future but I have a feeling it wont ever involve stepping foot in a Ford Training Center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 What I have seen as a major culprit in my personal experience in the sixteen years I was in the Ford scene goes something like this: More and more foreign workers coming in from abroad more so over the last six to eight years that have absolutely no intentions of taking the Ford training as well as young punks coming into the trade. Young punks these days seem to want Journeyman wages right from the start without having to work their ways up the ladder. And of course I see the abuse from the top end Management level. The shops can bring in cheap laborers and use more experienced techs number on the repair order. Been there and had my ups and downs with it. Talking to some of the techs I see these day in the Ford dealerships I deal with (4) they seem to be going through the same headaches. Phillipino's are the majority of cheap laborers around here. The countryside is becoming extremely populated with them. This is where the trade is going for shit. Nothing against anyone who wants to make an honest living and better themselves by striving for the top like we all did. But I am extremely sick and tired of seeing these bastards coming here only to make a pile of money to build their mansions back home at a cheap price while they all shack up in a house trailer with anywhere from four to eight of them splitting rent or a mortgage with absolutely no intentions of ever staying here in Canada. Somehow Ford has to know that the repairs with the highly trained tech numbers on all of the R.O's are not being performed by the certified techs, but by the low skilled cheap laborers. The training centers starting closing years ago up here in Canada. It started with Regina, SK, then Calgary, Ab, then Saskatoon SK, and then one in B.C. if remember correctly. Maybe this is Ford's answer to the whole situation. If you don't want to train your techs, then so be it! It seems to me that they have been tightening the warranty noose for a long time as well as training noose. That's just a tip of the iceberg on this topic I am sure. My experience with foreign laborers lately: Took my truck into International for a CVIP (Commercial Vehicle Inspection) and a recall. They found my fan blade was cracked and my rear rotors were cracked. They have you by the balls with a CVIP. If you want it to pass, get the work done. After the fan blade repair, my truck is overheating in Frickin January. Wait a minute! I can't hear the clutch kicking in. Well looky there, the fan clutch housing and the hub nut are absolutely beat to shit with an air chisel where you could see they slipped many times and fucked the housing. $460.00 dollars for a fan clutch and having fixed it properly by myself with the proper fuckin tools fixed that. But I use to have two really nice white rims on the outside back dualls of my truck and they are now on the inside with the two ugly beat up rims on the outside. Service Manager won't make his techs stay after five to fix my truck because they refuse to work overtime. Great Now I'm looking for a good price on new rims and a better place to do my CVIP next year. Fucking color blind and just plain barbaric! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Actually, Dwayne, Calgary was only mothballed for a time and is currently hosting courses. Vancouver is also operating but on a limited basis and doesn't have a full time instructor. As far as poor quality work is concerned - I don't think foreign workers have the monopoly on that. "Neck down" syndrome is alive and well and affects people from all backgrounds. One apprentice recently confided that he got into this trade because he hates reading. I think I broke his heart when I told him it doesn't work like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 As for your/our technician mumbers being used for other techs it is up to us to blow the whistle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 What kind of wheels do you need Dwayne we have lots of 22.5's at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 @Aaron: 19.5 inch wheels. It's an International Lo-pro 4700. Jim, if only you could see some of the crap that goes on down around here. That's why I mentioned the young punks as well. Our trade is destined for doom. I did actually find a good shop though. A real ornery Englishman now is the only guy allowed to touch my truck. He kinda reminds me of someone I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Yeah - but does he have a nice moustache? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 A bitchin' mustache is required. Open center or budd wheels Dwayne? We have mostly 4900's, I think they're all 22.5 but I will check. We are scrapping two ro three trucks shortly also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Open center. And this english guy has excessive thigh rub (he's bald). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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