Showerthought: only about 1 in 5 people who start a mechanic apprenticeship in my state actually finish it

Karen Martin · 2026-09-15T12:15:04.920646+00:00

I was poking around on the Department of Labor site for my state after a kid asked me about getting into the trade, and I found a report saying only around 20 percent of people who start a mechanic apprenticeship here actually finish it. That number hit me hard because I've had 3 helpers in the last 2 years and only 1 is still with us, and now I get why. The main reason listed was low starting pay, guys jump to a lube shop for a dollar more and never come back. The ones who stay seem to be the ones who got a mentor willing to show them real diag work early instead of just oil changes for a year. What did your shop do to keep younger guys around past that first 12 months?

Librear

Loading…

Showerthought: only about 1 in 5 people who start a mechanic apprenticeship in my state actually finish it | Auto Mechanics - Librear