The SOS program can begin in high school and is about more than building skills, with one other benefit being to develop connections. 

Ford and Lincoln dealers committed to sponsoring students will offer them a unique opportunity for work-based learning within their service department, including the support of a mentor.

Dealers are encouraged to sponsor automotive students of all ages to give even younger students the chance to see their academic lessons put into practice, and to get an early taste of what can be a very rewarding career.

More than 1000 Ford and Lincoln dealers have enrolled since the program’s start in April and have committed to sponsoring over 3600 students. Ford’s goal is to see no fewer than 5000 students receive this valuable work-based experience before the end of the year.

Ford Customer Service Division vice president Frederick Toney said: “Recruiting and retaining quality auto technicians is increasingly becoming one of the biggest challenges facing the retail automotive industry today and why building the dealer technician pipeline is so important.

“The average dealer will spend tens of thousands (of dollars) on a technician to be trained in a dealership over the course of five to eight years. This program and other Ford technician training programs help to reduce the time and cost associated with recruiting and training new hires.”

Ford expects that many students sponsored through SOS will be participants in Ford’s Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program, which is currently available at more than 1100 high schools and post-secondary schools in the US.

Students at these schools have access to much of the same advanced training courses that are used to train Ford dealership technicians, further enhancing their learning experience at the dealership.

Students hired by their sponsoring Ford or Lincoln dealer will have the opportunity to receive accelerated training within Ford’s training network. 

The company said that for many of these participants, the program can streamline the path to becoming a highly trained automotive technician.

“Additionally, sponsored students that are hired will receive a 20 per cent discount in the Rotunda Technician Tool Program, easing the pathway into the trade.”

The dealer enrollment package includes a playbook for retailers that will reflect the best ways to attract, train, and retain students as technicians. 

Dealers will also have the support of their OEM field teams throughout their enrollment. 

Ford said that currently, the Sponsor Our Students program is offered in the US “but expect to see rapid expansion soon.”

By Neil Dowling