The newly released ASE Education Foundation 2024 annual report shows that the combined number of high school and college students enrolled in ASE-accreditation programs increased by 8,000 to 118,000 between 2023 and 2024.

The report stresses the importance of addressing the ongoing technician shortage.

Findings from ASE’s annual student survey, the results of which are included in the report, show that working while in school increases retention in the industry, and more industry work opportunities are needed for students under 18.

Every year the foundation distributes a student survey to gauge an understanding of students’ views of the automotive, collision repair, and heavy-duty/diesel repair industries. Participants include students across the country in high school and post-secondary grades in the industries, both accredited and non-accredited.

“The ASE Education Foundation annual report provides a comprehensive overview of the foundation’s activities and how working with industry partners is increasing the educational opportunities for students across the country,” said Mike Coley, ASE Education Foundation president, in a press release.

“We encourage those who are interested in partnering with the foundation to review the annual report to see how we are working to help prepare and retain the next generation of service professionals and what our partners are doing to make a difference in the industry.”

According to the report, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), ASE Education Foundation, and WrenchWay have partnered to promote School Assist as the key platform connecting automotive service employers with schools.

Created by WrenchWay, School Assist streamlines collaboration between high schools, post-secondary programs, and the industry by facilitating requests for guest speakers, shop tours, tool donations, internships, and more.

Last year, WrenchWay, ASE, and ASE Education Foundation announced a strategic partnership to promote School Assist. At the time, ASE President and CEO Dave Johnson said the partnership would benefit the shared goals of both organizations. He added that WrenchWay’s online platform mirrors what ASE already does on the ground.

The foundation’s annual report also details the nonprofit’s increased number of ASE-accredited educational programs including an overview of its new hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) accreditation standards.

The new standards include knowledge of required PPE for use in high voltage/EV circuits, hazards associated with high voltage/EV circuits such as electrocution, fire, explosion, arc flash, gases and fumes, hazardous chemicals, and EMF, how to properly respond to emergencies, and more.

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Featured image credit: FabrikaCr/iStock

Graph taken from ASE’s 2024 annual report