Tech-Focused Niello Nurtures Top-Tier Technologists: Building Tech Superstars
In the heart of Sacramento, California, the Niello Co., a renowned dealership group operating BMW, Volvo, Audi, and Volkswagen stores, is adapting to the evolving automotive industry by prioritizing ongoing education and mentorship for their technicians.
Brad Hollingsworth, shop foreman at Niello's Volkswagen dealership, views today's auto technology as a "craft" that requires more thinking skills from technicians. He emphasizes the importance of providing technicians with a clear career path, a sentiment shared by the dealership's leadership.
Recognizing the importance of this approach, the Niello Co. has implemented customized, ongoing education and mentorship frameworks to prepare their teams for the technical, software, and diagnostic complexity of modern and electric vehicles. This strategy enables them to effectively meet evolving service demands in a rapidly changing automotive environment.
Key strategies include creating in-house training programs tailored specifically to the dealership's realities and challenges, investing in education and training on electric vehicle (EV) technology, diagnostics, components, and repair procedures, and pairing experienced technicians with newcomers to foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
Robert Pane, service manager at a Niello Volvo store, states that aptitude and attitude are assets of successful technicians. The dealership values the minds of its technicians as the most important tool in their figurative toolbox.
Niello Co.'s commitment to training and development is evident in their career development initiatives for technicians, as highlighted in a session titled "How We Make Superstar Techs." This focus on employee growth is a testament to the dealership's mission, as stated by Rick Niello, to treat customers and employees with unyielding integrity.
The dealership also emphasizes a defined, clear career path for technicians that emphasizes ethics and financial success. Mark Isakson, a technician at Niello's Audi store, has climbed the career-development ladder through ongoing training and foresees eventually becoming a shop foreman or service manager. Casey Smith, the assistant service manager at Niello's BMW store, is another example of this career progression.
Other dealerships, such as Vinart Dealerships, also prioritize mentorship programs for aspiring technicians. The multi-step initiative at Vinart Dealerships pairs apprentices with senior technicians, a strategy that has been successful in finding people with great careers, according to Andrew Wright, managing partner of Vinart Dealerships. He notes that technicians have transitioned from traditional mechanics to computer experts as a result of these programs.
As the role of auto technicians evolves due to the increasing complexity of cars and the emergence of electric vehicles, dealerships like Niello Co. are stepping up to ensure their technicians are equipped to handle these changes. By investing in their teams' growth and development, they are not only adapting to the future of the automotive industry but also ensuring their dealerships remain at the forefront of service excellence.
- Recognizing the increasing complexity of cars and the emergence of electric vehicles, other dealerships like Vinart Dealerships are also focusing on mentorship programs for aspiring technicians, pairing apprentices with senior technicians.
- To adapt to the future of the automotive industry, dealerships are investing in their teams' growth and development, ensuring their technicians are equipped to handle the changes by focusing on ongoing education and mentorship.
- As the auto industry evolves, Niello Co. values the minds of its technicians as the most important tool, creating customized in-house training programs and investing in education and training on electric vehicle technology.
- In the automotive industry, financial success and career development go hand-in-hand with ongoing training, as shown by Mark Isakson's progression from a technician at Niello's Audi store to a potential shop foreman or service manager.
