Why more women should consider becoming auto mechanics

So where did all the mechanics go? There is no single reason for the shortage. One of the biggest downsides of the industry is how grueling it is. Automotive technicians stand on their feet for hours, lifting tires, removing bolts, and when that’s done, washing motor oil off their hands and clothes. Perhaps because of how physically demanding and dirty the work can be, people tend to mistakenly believe that it is low-skilled and poorly paid.

A few months ago, I asked Ashley why she had never thought about becoming an auto mechanic. She didn’t seem to mind getting dirty or working hard—she once flew to Arizona over the weekend to replace valve cover gaskets on her 86-year-old grandmother’s 1998 Toyota Camry. She shrugged. “They told me you shouldn’t do what you love.” And Ashley really loves tinkering with cars. She taught herself by practicing repairing cars at junkyards before attempting it on her own car.

This type of self-learning experience is not historically a bad thing in the industry. Becoming an auto mechanic is a highly skilled technical profession that does not require a license or formal education to enter. Many previous generations of mechanics learned on the job. But as modern cars become increasingly computerized, it becomes increasingly difficult for self-taught mechanics to keep up. In dealerships and garages, it almost goes without saying that auto mechanics need continuing education to keep up with the times and avoid becoming obsolete. And repairing electric vehicles requires its own set of specialized skills.

This means that schools serving dealerships and garages are becoming increasingly important to the industry. David DiBarry, Superintendent North East Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School in Wakefieldsays enrollment has grown so much in recent years that the school now has a waiting list. There are a lot of automotive engineering graduates. “When I first started working here and going to school here, we had to fight hard to get our students into different careers,” DiBarry said. “And very often these were the most entry-level positions. Perhaps they work at the front desk. Perhaps they are changing the oil. We had a very hard time getting call backs. Now we can’t meet the demand from local businesses.”

Auto repair is a hot job market, but one large group of potential labor is missing, even as industry wages rise. According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, the automotive industry is the occupation with the lowest percentage of women. a paltry 1.6 percentalthough women make up a significant portion of car buyers and auto repair clients.

It’s no surprise that the industry suffers from a bad reputation when it comes to women. Over the years, various studies and personal accounts have shown that women expect to be patronized or taken advantage of in auto repair shops. Many women are afraid to deal with mechanics. But there are many male-dominated fields that have a similar reputation for misogyny that women have successfully infiltrated. What makes a car repair extraordinary? Do female mechanics have exceptionally bad experiences? Or does the service center’s bad reputation scare women away, making the problem worse?

In telling this story, I was surprised and delighted to learn that most of the female mechanics I spoke to were happy in their careers.

Sally Dawson is also a self-taught mechanic. She prefers the term “mechanic” rather than “automotive technician” because she never had any formal training other than working in her father’s shop. In 2006, she opened her own garage, Foxy Auto & Truck Repair, in North Reading with her sister Sheila. Dawson entered this profession because it was one of the few where lack of formal education was not an issue.

Dawson says she doesn’t remember ever experiencing unequal treatment in her career, but she’s careful to note that her experience may not reflect that of women working in dealerships or larger garages. As an independent owner, she had much more control over the environment than is typical for the average mechanic. But she has heard complaints from other female mechanics about a hostile work environment.

At the same time, she wonders whether assumptions about a bad culture are preventing women from pursuing careers they might actually enjoy. “If you tell them up front that it’s a potentially hostile environment, or we make assumptions that the reason girls aren’t participating in it is because it’s a hostile environment, then you may be scaring them out of it even before when they get a chance. to find out for yourself.”

Kim Stevenson, An automotive instructor at Lakes Region Community College in New Hampshire and coordinator of the Toyota Technician Training and Education Network, she began her career 21 years ago with General Motors. Stevenson has extensive experience in the automotive industry, having worked as an auto mechanic, dispatcher, service consultant, trainer and department manager. When Stevenson reflects on her career, she doesn’t like the hazing she faced, but she also doesn’t think it was too difficult. “Guys tend to pick on you to see what they can get away with,” she says. “So be prepared to give them a little trouble in return.” But overall I’ve worked in some really good stores.”

Jai Santora, Santora Automotive in Oxforddoesn’t think this kind of hazing is limited to the auto industry. “In general, this is how women are treated, regardless of profession,” she says. “Women are born with the awareness that they are told almost the following: “Be quiet. Be respectful. Don’t say anything, otherwise it will be more difficult for you.” And I think this is true in everything a woman does in life. And so when a woman is asked to go into a male-dominated industry, it’s magnified.”

But Santora believes more needs to be done to separate misogyny from the industry. “Big male egos,” she sighs, “are definitely prevalent in the car industry.” And this is one of the reasons why she opened her own garage. “People are afraid to go to a mechanic or auto mechanic. They are afraid that they will be taken advantage of, especially women, minorities. A lot of gay people, of course, just have a really hard time walking into a garage, not knowing what to expect, feeling like they’re going to be talked down to.”

Santora is a trans woman who started her career before transitioning. “I definitely became weaker (physically) after the transition. It was challenging in the sense that I had to adapt to the way I do things. But in fact, now it’s not fundamentally different from what it was before.” Santora believes that women and people representing women are just as capable as men in this industry, and the environment can be challenging for anyone. “Whether you are a woman or a man, who is more sensitive to this type of treatment, then you become a target and you are attacked. And I got through it.”

Dawson, Stevenson and Santora shared similar experiences. The industry is tough, and to survive in it, you have to be tough, too. This is true for everyone. But as the lack of automotive technology continues to sap the industry, I can only hope that more women will consider learning how to fix cars, if only for the satisfaction of seeing guys in the garage.

On the rare occasion that Ashley does take our car to the shop, she says, “I kind of play dumb and see what they tell me so I can compare it to what I know. I’m just asking questions. And sometimes I catch them guessing. It’s a good feeling when you can call them.”

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Jazmin Aguilera can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @jazminaguilerax.