The ARA is working with the provincial government to support and advance the automotive industry, including efforts related to electric vehicles, skilled trades, and labour attraction initiatives.
On March 6, 2023, the Automotive Retailers Association (ARA) President and CEO, Adrian Scovell, ARA Chairman, Ron Tremblay, and ARA executives, Wade Bartok, Rick Hatswell, Scott Waddle, and Mitchell Martin, attended a meeting with members of government from both sides of the aisle to discuss the present and future state of the automotive industry in British Columbia.
The ARA has been advocating tirelessly on behalf of its members and the automotive service industry, working closely with government to create viable opportunities and a better environment for automotive businesses. The government’s focus on electric vehicles and investment in an environment for their future proliferation, as well as the implementation of skilled trades certification, has been recognized by the ARA, who is actively supporting these mandates.
Automotive technology has advanced to the point where no one should be allowed to offer automotive repair and service without the proper training and qualifications. The ARA believes that the implementation of a skilled trades certification system will ensure that all standards are met and bring long-overdue recognition to automotive trades.
The government has made it clear that it appreciates the ARA’s involvement in supporting skilled trades certification, as well as the ARA’s labour programs designed to attract young people to the automotive industry.
Through its AutoCareersBC program, the ARA is actively involved in engaging young people by attending career fairs across the province and raising awareness of the automotive industry as a stable and exciting career choice. To help youth overcome financial barriers to entering the industry, the ARA’s foundation raised over $35,000 dollars last year, which will be awarded in scholarships and bursaries.
One of the challenges of securing the next generation of workers for the automotive industry is to make it more accessible to students. As part of its labour attraction efforts, the ARA is also running the successful Pedal Car Challenge for a second year. The program provides youth with the opportunity to get hands-on experience in automotive design, fabrication, and painting.
In addition, to showcase the automotive painting sector, the ARA has recently purchased a SprayVerse, a virtual reality spray painting simulator that makes automotive painting more accessible to students by removing barriers such as not having a spray booth, safety equipment, or proper breathing apparatus. The ARA demonstrated this tool during its March 6 meeting with government, and it attracted a great deal of attention. The goal is to give students who are deciding on a career path a simulated experience, and to showcase the automotive industry as a stable and exciting career choice.
Of course, there is no substitution for real-life experience, which is also why all schools participating in the Pedal Car Challenge will be taking a field trip to one of our partner’s locations to participate, along with a professional painter, in painting their pedal car.
Another topic that both the government and the ARA list as a priority is the adoption of electric vehicles, which they are working to address.
The ARA’s EVfriendly training and certification program was launched more than two years ago with financial support from the Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation. Since then, EVfriendly has been helping educate the industry on the safe handling of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) through its online training and certification, and providing valuable information to the public. The program is now expanding into other provinces to help prepare the industry for the widespread adoption of ZEVs.
During the March 6 meeting with the Hon. Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the ARA also brought the challenges that the industry is facing to the attention of government, and he has assured the ARA that the towing program for RoadSafetyBC is now at the top of his priority list. Farnworth’s department is working to address the restructuring of the towing program with RoadSafetyBC.
The ARA’s work on behalf of its members is far from over. The ARA is committed to continuing its collaboration with government to achieve shared goals, which include supporting the automotive trades as a vital part of B.C.’s economy and creating an environment where automotive entrepreneurs can thrive.