The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that there will be an average of about 28,500 openings for diesel service technicians and mechanics each year through 2031. Where will these new techs and mechanics come from? Louisville McMahon Truck Centers is partnering with a nearby vocational school to help students learn truck service skills and learn about careers in the industry.
Partnering with Prosser Career Education Center
Prosser Career Education Center, one of Indiana’s largest career centers, is less than 5 miles from Louisville McMahon Truck Centers. We partner with their Diesel Services program to assist the overall program and the students themselves.
“Two or three times a year they do job shadowing. We have a standing order, whoever you have, send them. We work very closely with their teacher. We donate tools. We donate engines. We sponsor projects. We try to help them as much as we can,” said Calvin Myers, Service Manager, Louisville McMahon Truck Centers. “It’s a good two-way street.”
McMahon Truck Centers also helps with the Prosser Mock Interview Days and with their Career Days.
“We’ll go over and do Career Days and talk with these kids about what the industry is like and what it is like working in an OEM facility. We tell them about the training that we supply to become a master tech and what it means for them,” said John Clary, General Manager, Louisville McMahon Truck Centers.
McMahon partners with Prosser to help diesel services students get the real-life work experience and training they need. For the last half of their senior year, after their high school classes in the morning, truck services students at Prosser work at Louisville McMahon Truck Centers for the rest of their school day. “They come to work for us and that finishes off their training,” said Myer.
“We actually fill out a report card on a weekly basis,” said Clary. “We all get excited about this because it’s fun.”
Post-graduation Diesel Mechanic Paid Internships
After the students graduate, they can apply for the McMahon Truck Centers’ two-year paid internship program. “We created an internship for young technicians who want to get into this field. There are certain criteria they have to meet to be eligible for that,” said Clary. Our goal is to then hire the student at the end of the internship.
“It’s not just a job, it’s a career here. We want long-term people. We have technicians and parts people with 30 plus years. It’s something we focus on and our people mean a lot to us,” said Clary.
Committed to Building Community
Louisville McMahon Truck Centers has partnered with Prosser for years and has increased its involvement with the school over the past two years. “The more positive that we can be and the more we can be a piece of this community and help it grow and us grow with it is where we are coming from. At the end of the day that’s what we are here for,” said Clary.
