Mercedes-Benz USA said it has an annual demand for 1,400 technicians, with 50% of its franchised dealerships reporting an urgent or extremely urgent need for technicians.

To make sure franchised dealerships have the technicians they need to maintain a successful service the automaker has launched multifaceted training programs that aim to benefit the automotive industry by providing career readiness to students who aspire to become automotive technicians.

According to a news release distributed on Monday, students can start their journey to become a Mercedes-Benz technician through participation in three national career development programs:

—MB Star Connect

This program is available for vocational and high school technician training and is focused on developing relationships with dealerships to create potential employment opportunities for students. The MB Star Connect program grants high school students access to MB specific automotive curriculum and is a way to raise awareness and interest in the field and the brand.

—MB Campus

This program is available for college, vocational and post-secondary level technician training and gives students the opportunity to complete MB specific automotive training in conjunction with their two-year degree.

This program focuses on providing students with hands-on skill development through access to MB vehicles, tools, and diagnostic equipment while building relationships with local dealerships to create potential internship or employment opportunities for high performing students. This program is the most direct pipeline for local talent a dealership can participate in, with many graduates going straight to work in the sponsoring dealership’s workshop.

—MB Drive

This 17-week program is the one of the most sophisticated technician training programs available today and can turn participants into certified technicians. MB Drive is also easily accessible to veterans as it is one of the first programs by an automobile manufacturer to be approved for the GI Bill benefits in the U.S.

“We’re not only helping our students jumpstart their career, but also are cultivating essential relationships between dealer employers and potential employees,” Mercedes-Benz Academy general manager Lisa Rosenfeld said in the news release.

“Our students leave these programs feeling invigorated after learning innovative Mercedes-Benz technologies and driven towards making a career out of working with some of the most technologically advanced vehicles on the road,” Rosenfield continued.

Despite COVID-19 forcing limitations on in-person instruction and class sizes during the last two years, the OEM said 236 interns and hires came out of the MB Star Connect and MB Campus programs.

Additionally, the automaker said MB Drive secured employment for 234 of its 244 graduates at Mercedes-Benz dealerships, for a remarkable employment rate of 96%.

Mercedes-Benz dealership partners also benefit from these programs with a stronger pipeline of technicians through relationships with educational institutions and local high performing students.

“The collaboration with our partner schools has been extremely helpful in our recruitment efforts,” said Patricia Sames, assistant manager, tech training and development at Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan. “We frequently participate in career days and employer spotlights organized by our partner schools allowing us to engage with potential candidates.

“The close collaboration with partner schools has greatly supported our efforts recruiting new and upcoming talent. As a result, we’ve been able to bring on board several technicians through this collaboration,” Sames added in the news release.

Joseph Lovelady is an MB Drive graduate who now is a technician at MB of Birmingham.

“Graduating from the program here at Mercedes is the biggest accomplishment in my life,” Lovelady said. “You actually work on real cars, with real life situations as if you were at the dealership. I graduated on a Friday and was at work by Monday morning. I already had a stall lined up, a toolbox ready for me to move all my tools into, and immediately got to work.”

For more information about career development at Mercedes-Benz USA, visit this website.