CADA launches Auto Career Start campaign

The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) has officially launched its national Auto Career Start campaign aimed at promoting the many and diverse career opportunities available at dealerships across the country in an effort to garner more talent.

The announcement was made by CADA President and CEO John White during the 2018 Georgian Auto Show in Barrie, Ont., on June 1.

“In working with the provincial dealer associations, we at CADA are pleased to announce the official launch of the Auto Career Start campaign, which is aimed at helping to educate the public about the vast amount of opportunities available in the automotive retail industry, and to help connect job seekers with employers,” said White.

The Auto Career Start program seeks to raise awareness among Canadians — and particularly millennials — about what the auto retail sector has to offer. It will attempt to shift an old-school mentality that many people have about the industry, while also aiming to land on the radar of younger people. According to a national Abacus Data survey, 68 per cent of millennials have never considered working in an auto dealership. The report is based on 2,000 people aged 18 to 37 years old, and was conducted between Dec. 22, 2017 and Jan, 8, 2018.

The campaign is also dealing with a larger issue about the need to fill many vacant positions at dealerships throughout the country, as employment and retention remain a problem for many dealers.

A recent national survey on dealership human resource (HR) needs and hiring projections found that 99.5 per cent of dealers plan to hire between one and six people within the next 12 months, while 44.7 per cent said they plan on hiring between six and 20 people during that same period, according to a CADA news release. Furthermore, 83.7 per cent of dealers surveyed “will be looking to hire service technicians,” and 70.5 per cent “said they will be hiring for sales and leasing positions.”

Auto dealerships employ 150,000 people nationwide, and Canada is home to more than 3,000 new car and truck dealerships. As the industry continues to grow and evolve, the Auto Career Start program is expected to help manage these changes by connecting job seekers with employers through an online portal with a job board divided by province. The portal also provides users with videos describing the various roles of dealership personnel, along with contact information, data about the auto retail situation in each province, and it allows users to sign in via their own account.

“Auto Career Start is an opportunity for us to connect with Canadians across the country and increase their awareness about the auto retail sector and the many and diverse jobs available to them,” said White. “Educating the public about dealerships and employment availability, and making it easy for them to apply for these jobs through the online portal is a win for all — and a necessity as the industry continues to grow and evolve in Canada.”

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