Governor Schwarzenegger Recognizes Automotive Career Month

High School Students to Explore Auto Careers at Dealerships

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 2 -- California high school students will learn about rapidly expanding career opportunities in auto dealerships. The California Motor Car Dealers Association (CMCDA) joins dealerships nationwide to celebrate Automotive Career Month this October, sponsored by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

"Automotive Career Month has been established to promote rewarding careers within car dealerships. I commend new-car dealerships across the state for hosting events to highlight opportunities in the technical and executive management fields," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Your combined efforts give students another worthy option in planning their futures."

During October 23-25 from 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., high school students across the state will receive a "behind-the-scenes" tour of a dealership to see first-hand how the business operates in all areas, including sales, service and finance. Participating dealerships include: Downtown Ford Sales in Sacramento; Henry Curtis Ford in Petaluma and Hansel Ford Lincoln Mercury in Santa Rosa; Victory Toyota in Seaside; Haddad Dodge Kia and Nissan of Bakersfield in Bakersfield; Fuller Ford in Chula Vista; Sierra Auto Cars, Inc. in Monrovia, and Bob Smith BMW in Calabasas.

There are more than 104,000 job openings in dealerships nationwide, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Automotive Retailing Today. In the Pacific Region (California, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington) there are 15, 472 job openings in dealerships.

"Many young people and their parents are surprised to learn that dealerships offer such a wide variety of outstanding career opportunities," said Bert Boeckmann, CMCDA chairman. "California auto dealers are thrilled to have a chance to share our experiences with the students, and we hope that many will end up strongly considering careers in our industry."

Today's auto dealership careers are expanding and more cutting-edge than ever. With new vehicles holding more computing power than the Apollo moon launch and dealership businesses growing, dynamic positions with high-income potential can be found in such fields as:

  Sales
  Auto Repair and Service
  Finance
  Marketing
  Administration
  Design
  Technology and computers
  Communications

To help students pursuing studies related to the sale and service of new motor vehicles, the state's new car dealers raised over $225, 000 at a Gala Scholarship Dinner in April 2006. The money benefits CMCDA's Scholarship Foundation to fund auto technician scholarships.

Read Governor Schwarzenegger's message for Automotive Career Month at www.cmcda.org.

For a complete list of California auto dealers hosting open house events this month visit NADA's website at www.nada.org.

About CMCDA

The California Motor Car Dealers Association is the country's largest state association of franchised new car and truck dealers with over 1,350 dealer members.

About NADA

The National Automobile Dealers Association, founded in 1917 and based in McLean, VA, represents approximately 20,000 franchised new-car and -truck dealers holding nearly 43,000 separate franchises, domestic and international.