(Left) Christina Almeida, Training Director at Cars and Jobs
During the Montreal International Auto Show (MIAS), the team at Cars and Jobs took the opportunity to spread the word about employment opportunities available to workers in the Canadian automotive retail sector, while also seeking to gain insights about what consumers really want.
The show took place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Quebec, where the team held a booth from January 16-26 (Media Day and the public opening days of the event). The goal was to reach out to consumers and explain the benefits of having a career in the auto industry.
“Attending auto shows, career fairs, and other public facing events provides us with an opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential job seekers and share information about the auto industry,” said Christina Almeida, Training Director at Cars and Jobs, in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. “These events also provide us with the opportunity to learn more about what they are looking for in a job and gain valuable insights.”
“I think a lot of people don’t actually realize the type of jobs that are available at the dealership and the career path they can embark on,” said Almeida, who noted a recurring theme among the people she spoke to at the show; many believe a career in auto retail is for mechanics or salespeople and are not aware of the other employment opportunities: marketing, human resources, IT, and web.
“When we start validating all of this to them, they look at us and say: ‘We were not aware that we could do all of this,’” said Almeida. “Then we tell them they can start out in one job and move up all the way to general manager. We’ve seen people do that throughout their careers in the auto industry and it’s great to see their reaction when we tell them that.”
Employment in the Canadian auto retail sector increased two per cent, with 161.4 thousand employees on average working from January through to September 2019, according to data from Desrosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC). Overall employment in the sector remains relatively healthy, with the upward trend expected to continue in 2020.
The TADA-owned Cars and Jobs website helps connect job seekers with employers of new car and truck dealerships across the country. The site also provides career training and search advice, while the program seeks to promote a range of jobs the sector has to offer — primarily targeting millennials, women, new Canadians, and military veterans.
Following MIAS, Cars and Jobs will be working with the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA) to promote and organize the Toronto Automotive Technology Competition (TATC) in conjunction with the Canadian International Autoshow (CIAS) in Toronto in February.
The competition aims to promote the long-term career opportunities available in the Canadian auto sector to students. Two-person teams from Ontario’s GTA secondary schools will be competing for a chance to represent their school (and TADA) at the National Automotive Technology Competition in New York City in April.
In March, the Cars and Jobs team will continue to connect with consumers about auto retail jobs at the Vancouver International Auto Show, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
