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The first batch of graduates from the Automotive Dealership Management Program at the Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC) received their degrees and now return to industry with new skills and knowledge — taught from a Canadian perspective.
Until this program launched, Canadian dealership and OEM personnel who wanted to get in-depth training about the auto retail industry had to head south to programs offered in the United States.
This homegrown approach has been well received by dealers and OEMs, some of whom were auditing the course to ensure it was up an appropriate alternative to the U.S.-based training at the NADA Academy.
“This is very significant today,” says John White, President and CEO of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), in an interview with Canadian auto dealer at the convocation event where he also addressed the graduates. “The feedback from the students and dealers who have been involved with this is just fantastic.”
He says the CADA is a big backer of the program and it stacks up against any other dealership training program. “I encourage all dealers across Canada to take a look at this program for any of their managers they are looking to develop into general managers or dealer principals.”
White praised his predecessor Rick Gauthier for his passion to start the program. “You are seeing the vision that was established a few years ago now being realized,” says White, who also served on the board of the ABSC when the program was established.
A graduate of the program, Paul Hewitt, General Manager, Pfaff Audi, in Newmarket, Ont. said the program was intensive, but effective. “It was an 18-month intensive focus on your own business. You don’t get that time in your dealerships,” says Hewitt, adding that he enjoyed donning the cap and gown while getting his diploma. “It was fun.”
Rick Koch, an ABSC board member was on hand at the convocation, says he was pleased to see the first group of cohorts graduate from the management program. He says the ABSC board felt they could create a program relevant for Canadians, and one that could train dealership personnel for more senior roles. “Education is key. We have relied so much on just growing within our dealerships,” says Koch.
Koch says he had a nephew go through the program and said he benefited immensely. “The program that Georgian College put together is really relevant for Canada and relevant for our market,” says Koch.
Koch says it’s also important that the OEMs honour the program for succession planning for dealerships. “Hopefully they will embrace it. I’m confident they will. Some of them went through the program and now see the qualifications of the graduates that have come through the program.”
Koch says OEMs had a lot of input into the curriculum, and the program is also very useful for OEMs, suppliers and anyone whose career touches the auto retail sector.
