With the advent of driver-less cars and robots taking over car plants, the world is seeing more and more how technology is literally breaking news in the automobile industry.
Many may wonder if automotive staffing will become a thing of the past, with only key positions being reserved for “higher-ups,” and labor jobs becoming extinct. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the automotive industry is expected to steadily grow at an average 6 percent a year up until 2026 – so no need for workers to worry anytime soon.
As mentioned, though, the worry might be the result of various current events.
This year, Volkswagen and Hyundai teamed up with the startup automotive company Aurora on its Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) project, which will be robot taxis.
General Motors is looking to launch a self-driving car fleet in 2019, and there’s more companies right on their trail.
Good news is, this does not affect “back-end” workers, or office workers, in the least. If you’re skilled and know how to operate car machinery, or have a creative engineering or marketing mind, you’ll never have to worry about automotive staffing issues. Matter-of-fact, you’ll benefit from the growth, and find your job is much easier thanks to the presence of the robots.
Robots in the automotive industry are usually responsible for tasks such as welding, transferring parts, and assembly.
But there’s still much work to be done. Here are a few automotive careers worth exploring in changing times:
Automotive Tech:
With all of the new technology in the auto industry, you can bet that there’s going to be some repairs needed. This is where the auto technician job becomes an in-demand career option. An auto tech can start working in as little as two years of training. Some of the skills an auto tech could specialize in includes vehicle maintenance, parts distribution, collision repair, service consultant, etc. If you want to go further in education, and have a love for speed, you can explore motorsports engineering as well.
Automotive Sales:
Let’s face it, at the end of the day companies aren’t just making cars to drive – they’re making cars to sell. This is where creative people with sales savvy can rest assured there’s a place for them in the auto world. An automotive salesman isn’t just someone who works at car lots – they also can be people who come up with key marketing strategies for major car makers. This job mainly involves coming up with strategies for revenue growth, and coming up with ways to appeal to diverse markets.
Automotive Production Operation:
If you’re just not breaking into the auto world, and want to see what the environment of a car plant is all about, this is a great place to start. Auto production operators can normally be hired without any auto experience at all. Oftentimes, training is provided by the job. This career generally involves setting up machines, testing machines to make sure they’re working right, checking machine output to make sure it’s accurate, cleaning machines, and more. Many people may start on this level, and then choose to explore other areas of the auto industry as they gain experience.