Management program fills educational niche
Many individuals who work at new car dealerships in Canada aspire to management and/or ownership positions. In order to obtain the specific education and professional development to advance their careers, they sometimes have to travel to U.S.-based colleges or universities.
But U.S.-based automotive management courses don’t address all of the issues relevant to the Canadian marketplace. To fill that important educational niche, the Automotive Business School of Canada at Georgian College in Barrie introduced a new program earlier this year, aimed at dealer principals and general managers.
The newly launched Automotive Dealership Management graduate certificate program is designed to help men and women already working at dealerships to upgrade their knowledge and skills, to enable them to be more competitive in the marketplace.
Dealership principals have been requesting that such a program be established here in Canada for years.
This new program is timely, and it addresses a range of operational issues, benchmarks and legislation geared toward the Canadian market.
The Automotive Dealership Management program provides flexible, in-class and online delivery and offers seven courses over 14 months, one course offered at a time.
Courses include: Dealership Management, Dealership Financial Management, Customer Experience, Parts/Accessories Management, Service Management, New and Used Sales Management and Growth and Opportunity Capstone.
Although the program is aimed at dealer principals and managers, any employee working at a dealership who aspires to move into management and/or ownership can enrol.
Admission requirements are a post-secondary diploma or degree, or equivalent experience in the automotive industry.
Many employees at dealerships start their careers straight out of high school, and some transfer to the retail automotive sector from other industries. These individuals didn’t have the chance to earn academic credentials before they started their automotive career, which limits their prospects for advancement.
For candidates who enrol in the ABSC’s new Automotive Dealership Management program, it’s a great opportunity to learn about new strategies and best practices, and their certificate helps to drive their career forward.
Since the program first launched in February 2015, it has attracted students from independent dealerships to large auto groups.
Students recognize the value of this type of curriculum, which provides them with a better understanding of all facets of a dealership’s operations through team projects with practical applications. Students also work on assigned projects, including personal materials from their dealerships.
The Automotive Dealership Management certificate program complements the Automotive Business School of Canada’s two existing automotive business programs: the automotive business (two-year diploma) program, and the Bachelor of Business Automotive Management (four-year honour degree) program.
Several alumni from ABSC’s existing programs have enrolled in the Automotive Dealership Manage- ment certificate program.
The program serves as both a refresher for those who want to learn more about automotive retailing, and as a resource for those who are pursuing career advancement.
For more information about the Automotive Dealership Management certificate program, visit www.DealershipManagement.ca.
The Trillium Automobile Dealer Association is a partner with the Automotive Business School of Canada, along with other postsecondary schools across Ontario.
Our association is a strong proponent of education for the automotive sector, and we provide awards and scholarships for students, as well as co-op apprenticeship, mentoring and work experience opportunities.
For anyone who is serious about pursuing a career in the automotive industry, Ontario has many excellent post-secondary schools that offer courses in all disciplines, including automotive technician, collision repair technician, accounting, human resources, marketing, sales, service adviser and management.
Canada has a strong, multi-faceted automotive sector with unlimited opportunities for employment and advancement in various professions, and the Automotive Dealership Management program is one more example of how the post-secondary schools are meeting the evolving employment needs of the automotive sector.