There’s no doubt that the U.S. automotive workforce is going through a period of rapid, industry-wide change. The dynamics at play include wage hikes for both union and non-union auto workers stemming from the UAW strikes in late 2023, a projected shortage of 100,000 automotive technicians at the nation’s repair shops, and increased need for software and AI/machine learning skills to compete for new engineering roles. How has the automotive industry workforce changed over the past decade, and what should we expect going forward?
We sat down with two longtime Motivans, both with automotive industry backgrounds and actively involved in local SAE events, to ask for their perspectives.
Michael Konig, Director of Operations at Motivo, led the Formula SAE team at Western Washington University and currently volunteers for SAE SoCal and SAE Detroit, including as manager of numerous Formula SAE competitions. With a long history in the automotive industry, Michael has worked as a driving instructor for global OEMs, been a technician and instructor for race teams, and advised FSAE teams across the country. At Motivo, he has worked with many automotive OEM clients on R&D engineering projects for their next-generation products.
Dean Case, SAE SoCal Membership Director and head of PR at Motivo, has been a volunteer with SAE International and SAE SoCal for over three decades. He has been a guest speaker at over 50 universities. Professionally, Case was an engineer with Mazda, Ford, and Nissan, including time with multiple OEM EV and motorsports programs.
What are global OEM leaders saying about the availability of new engineering talent?
Konig: The leaders I’ve spoken to talk a lot about a need for flexibility. With the speed at which technology changes, having employees that can pivot their skillset just as quickly as a company pivots ideas is crucial. At the end of the day, it feels like the automotive industry is changing faster than schools or even their own internal training can react to. To overcome this, a new generation of engineers that are taught and challenged to analyze, adapt, and constantly look for learning opportunities is what will allow the workforce to catch back up to large changes that have happened in the automotive industry over the past decade.
Case: Companies are doing far less on-campus recruiting and far more events like Formula SAE and Baja SAE competitions. They also love the SAE SoCal events like the annual SEMA Garage Showcase. That event allowed 15 companies access to 200+ students from 21 schools, each student having hands-on experience with a Formula or Baja car. Motivo has been very engaged with SAE SoCal, and was the sponsor of a very successful collaboration with our counterparts from SWE, SHPE, and NSBE at the Lions Automobilia Museum. The talent is out there – you just need to know where to look.
With the auto industry now so intertwined with software, advanced manufacturing robotics, and other disciplines from outside the traditional description of automotive engineering, how can OEMs cross-pollinate skillsets from other high-tech industries?
Konig: It’s not just software and factory robotics. Electrification has been the biggest shift. As OEMs make the change to EVs, the universities may be lagging behind adding vehicle systems and software integrations into their normal EE course load. Right now European schools tend to have a better course structure for teaching full vehicle development. Schools are being tasked with teaching more in the same amount of time. If a Mechanical Engineering major needs to know software too, even at a baseline, to be able to "speak the language," then they need to replace some of their normal ME classes with software engineering classes, which runs the risk of having graduates who are jacks of all trades but masters of none.
Hiring from programs like Formula SAE allows students to get more hands-on learning, while also having to learn subsystems outside of their major. We are especially seeing this in the EV competitions.
Case: I tell students that at Motivo, an ME better be comfortable in an EE world and an EE needs strong ME skills. Everything overlaps and the best performers are those who have a basic understanding of and respect for other disciplines required to complete a project.
Motivo certainly has to deal with the fast pace of technological advancements as well - across an even broader set of industries. How do Motivo’s hiring teams deal with that, and what kind of qualities do they look for in new team members?
Konig: Motivo looks to hire generalists, who have experience in many things, but passion in a small few of those things to really become subject matter experts in. We also look for people that are lifelong learners, with the capability to also be a teacher. This helps us create a pattern of real-time knowledge transfers amongst peers. I was lucky enough to catch the eye of Dean Case when he came to talk to my school and one of the things that stood out was how I was able to move between the engineering, management, and business world.
What has made it really interesting was that while my engineering background is automotive based, my management is non-traditional through the restaurant industry and my business side is from the “traditional” MBA tract.
Case: I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the SAE Industrial Lecture Program the past few years, but have been engaged with SAE student groups since I was a student. Over the years I have visited 50+ schools and the talent out there is amazing. In fact, my visit to Western Washington University in 2018 resulted in Motivo hiring Michael Konig.
In competitions, I’ve observed that the strongest teams are diverse in all aspects especially including non ME’s and underclass members. A team of all graduating ME seniors is not necessarily a selling point to me.
As the automotive industry continues to evolve, having the right team is crucial.
Discover how Motivo can help you navigate these changes and build the future of automotive engineering.