Justin Dodd, who once managed industrial sanitation crews at food processing plants, now works as an apprentice technician at Banner Chevrolet in New Orleans. Dodd said Banner was his first choice, because the dealership services every vehicle make and model.
He is not surprised that he loves the work. “My grandfather loved automotive things,” Dodd said. “It’s in my blood if it’s cars.”
The structure of the program is ideal, he added, because it has milestones and allows him to set goals and accomplish them. The support of the National Urban League also is key.
“One of the main things I like about this program is how the Urban League [goes] out of their way to see that you do nothing but succeed,” Dodd said. “They are the backbone of this program.”
The National Urban League is already looking at ways to improve the apprenticeship program, bringing employers into the planning process earlier.
LaCour-Duckworth wants to build support groups to attract more women to the profession. Two apprentices in the inaugural class were women, and both were hired by participating dealerships. “We have to build more safe spaces where [women] feel they can come into this industry,” LaCour-Duckworth said.
She also would like to see a higher hourly wage. “We want careers, not survival jobs,” LaCour-Duckworth said.
The Urban League of Louisiana has asked NADA to consider other higher-paying dealership positions as part of the program.
“We are still building opportunities off this automotive apprenticeship,” LaCour-Duckworth said.
Mills employs two apprentices at his Honda dealership in Harvey, La., and plans to hire several for his Ford dealership there. He is all for expanding the apprenticeship program.
“I’m excited to be part of it and excited to see how it will continue to meet a need that we all have,” he said. “It should be done nationally as quickly as possible.”
