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Governor Proclaims October 27 'Automotive Career Education Day'

28 October 1999

Governor Proclaims October 'Automotive Career Education Day'

    SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 27 -- The Davis Administration today
focused attention on the need to bring young adults into the potentially
lucrative field of automotive repair by proclaiming October 27 as
"Automotive Career Education Day" in California.
    "Californians should know that well-paying high-tech career opportunities
exist at automotive repair businesses throughout the state, not just in
Silicon Valley," said California Department of Consumer Affairs Director
Kathleen Hamilton.  "With the average late-model car containing more on-board
computerization than the Apollo missions to the moon, I would strongly
encourage today's student interested in a hands-on, high-tech career to
consider automotive repair."
    Automotive repair service is a $13 billion a year industry in California,
employing about 300,000 individuals at more than 33,000 automotive repair
businesses.  Nationwide, the automotive repair industry -- including
automotive service, collision repair and heavy duty -- is one of the largest
professional industries, employing more than five million people nationally
and making up eight percent of the Gross National Product.  Each year,
however, as two million automobiles are added to U.S. highways, the number of
qualified automotive repair technicians is dropping by as much as five percent
-- creating a national shortfall of about 60,000 technicians.
    This shortage is expected to increase as vehicles become even more
technically complex.  Statistics suggest that more than 70 percent of the new
automotive repair jobs created between 1995 and 2005 will require advanced
technical training.
    In September 1998, the California Department of Consumer Affairs/Bureau of
Automotive Repair led a successful national conference in Anaheim to address
the shortage of automotive repair technicians.  The three challenges
identified during that conference were recruiting young women and men into the
automotive repair profession, increasing the industry's professional image,
and training technicians in the skills needed for enhanced consumer
satisfaction and quality.
    To promote the high-tech aspect of "Automotive Career Education Day,"
DCA/BAR formally invited automotive education and training institutions,
including high schools, community colleges and vocation education providers,
to participate in the Fourth Annual Satellite Career Fair.  The fair,
sponsored by the Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair, was available
free of cost and was broadcast today.  For more information, visit
http://www.ccar-greenlink.org.

  Proclamation by Gray Davis, Governor of California, Attested by Bill Jones

    WHEREAS, the automotive service and collision repair industry is one of
the largest industries in the nation, employing more than five million people
nationally and educating students in the more than 6,000 high schools and
colleges; and
    WHEREAS, the automotive repair industry faces a critical shortage of
properly trained technicians in the United States; and
    WHEREAS, the National Automotive Repair Leadership 2000 Summit identified
the need to recruit young women and men to the automotive repair profession,
to increase the industry's professional image and to educate and train
technicians in the skills needed for enhanced quality and consumer
satisfaction; and
    WHEREAS, the Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair is offering the
4th Annual Automotive Career Education Day to inform young people and
educators about careers in the automotive service, collision repair and heavy
duty repair industries; and
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, GRAY DAVIS, Governor of the State of California, do
hereby proclaim October 27, 1999 as "Automotive Career Education Day."