Jeff Gerdes Expands Fort Madison Auto Apprenticeship Program as Industry Faces 76,000 Annual Technician Openings
Updated
Updated · Mississippi Valley Publishing · Jun 12
Jeff Gerdes Expands Fort Madison Auto Apprenticeship Program as Industry Faces 76,000 Annual Technician Openings
1 articles · Updated · Mississippi Valley Publishing · Jun 12
Summary
Fort Madison High School instructor Jeff Gerdes has expanded his automotive registered apprenticeship program to a second local dealership, Jim Baier, Inc., after launching it with Schottenkirk Chevrolet in 2022.
76,000 service technician jobs need filling each year nationwide, while training programs produce only 40,000 workers, a gap Gerdes said is hitting smaller communities like Fort Madison especially hard.
Two to four students enter the program each year starting in junior year, splitting time between five courses and paid dealership work; most finish in two years.
100% of Gerdes’ apprenticeship students have moved straight into full-time dealership jobs, and three apprentices were accepted into General Motors’ eight-week training program.
One early participant, 2023 graduate Trey Edwards, went from apprentice to full-time dealership employee and has since opened his own automotive shop in Fort Madison.