Membership has its advantages
There are 106 – soon to be 107 – workshops which already know the advantages of being under the Auto Super Shoppe’s group umbrella, even so, there are workshops which are less informed.
For those workshops then, an explanation of what Auto Super Shoppes membership entails is in order, particularly as the group celebrates the opening of its new pre-trade training academy, which coincides nicely with an ongoing call out from the industry for more – and better – apprentices.
Acting CEO for Auto Super Shoppes, Kellie Tremayne, invited Motor Equipment News to discuss the origins of the academy and the necessity for its expansion and resultant grand opening.
The idea of an academy started about five years ago,” Kellie explains. “David (Storey) & Geoff (Harper) started the network of
Auto Super Shoppes 14 years ago, and now we were looking to expand what we offered as a premium repairer organisation.
“We had already established a reputation for professionalism from our membership, with individual workshops providing quality expert automotive servicing and repair, enjoying the collective buying power and association with well recognised and established providers, and taking advantage of collective and effective marketing programs.
“As a group, we also ensure our membership consists of well run and financially secure businesses.
“Together, these attributes have secured business contracts for our members from all the major nationwide fleet companies, building on the regular business their professionalism has already established.”
The Auto Super Shoppe group leadership is always looking to add to what it can offer its member workshops and at an annual meeting, asked the question:
“What does the membership really need?”
The answer was a universal plea for driving more people into the industry and when a second question was asked as to why members were not training apprentices themselves, the answer was that premium businesses need premium technicians but training them from scratch took time and their experienced techs were already so busy. They needed staff to help them, not slow them down.
“Many of our members were finding taking on apprentices straight out of school came with issues,” explains Kellie. “Pretrade students would finish school around October and then go into vocational education in February four months later, where – in addition to being used to a ‘relaxed’ start to the day – well, let’s say course completion did not always mean graduates have 100 per cent attendance records.”
To address these pain points for Auto Super Shoppe members, the Auto Super Shoppes academy was formed, it’s brief: to provide a pool of graduate/apprentices wellschooled in automotive repair and servicing with a professional work ethic reflecting the calibre of an Auto Super Shoppe business.
“We went to our members and asked them what they wanted to see in an apprentice,” adds Kellie.
“From their input, we designed the curriculum which gives apprentices practical skills, real workshop employee experience and instils a work ethic with a focus on respect for employers and customers, all while building on the student’s passion for their profession.”
Entry into the academy already ensures ‘apprentices in the making’ are the right sort of apprentices to begin training. “We interview applicants for acceptance,” explains Kellie. “This way, we can keep our classes small with one to ten teacher/student ratio, ensuring a quality of education our members expect.”
With the grand opening of the new academy, the ratio is still intact, though the academy can now accommodate between 20 and 25 students at one time, there are now two classrooms instead of the previous one and the workshop now accommodates three hoists all generously supplied by Bapcor, the Academy’s exclusive industry sponsor.
A core point of difference, and one which demonstrates the level of commitment Auto Super Shoppe students are expected to demonstrate, is the concentrated learning level at the academy.
“Rather than a nine-month course,” explains Kellie, “which would be considered normal for a pre-trade qualification, the academy course takes 12 weeks, incorporates 24 modules and up to 12 workplace experience days where students are expected to ‘be employees,’ demonstrating their abilities, skills and work ethic.
“Graduation is not guaranteed,” says Kellie, “and genuinely has to be earned. The return, however, is job placement, which for us sits at 100 per cent. Job placement may be at an Auto Super
Shoppe, dealership or at another independent workshop.
And the formula is working. Auto Super Shoppes membership has increased and continues to grow.
At one time, the group went in search of potential member workshops, but today the situation has changed; workshops now look to become part of the network – clearly recognising that, as part of the Auto Super Shoppe network, membership does have its advantages.