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There's a shortage in Canada today.
Not gas or meat or any other consumable, but of skilled qualified automotive technicians.
In the old days it seemed like anyone with a shade tree and a few wrenches could call himself a mechanic.
These days this kind of DIY'er (Do It Yourselfer) is more of a danger than a help. They usually know just enough to create more problems, rather than solve them.
A qualified technician is someone who has spent years training in up to date automotive technology and spent thousands of dollars on the tools needed to complete a job correctly.
It seems that fewer and fewer people want to become auto techs.
The hours may be long, the work is hard, but the money is good and the satifaction of a job well done is right at your fingertips. Yes, there is a big investment to be made when you start. You have to pay for education, tools and equipment, but so do doctors and lawyers.
Maybe it's a prestige thing?
Today's auto tech still lives under the image of the "grease monkey", a dirt and grease covered, semi-literate creature with wrench in one hand and no social skills. In fact, most mechanics now have nearly as many electronic diagnostic tools as wrenches in their tool boxes. Tools that they must learn to use to be able to fix a car. Repairing a vehicle correctly gives a tech something to take pride in, to point and say "I fixed that." And with today's computer controlled systems he probably didn't even get his hands dirty.
Money is often heard as another reason young people don't want into the auto repair business. But the money is there if you are well qualified, knowledgeable and well trained.
Plus they have no car repair bills of their own in most cases!
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