GREENSBORO, N.C. — Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks North America are partnering with colleges in Florida, Ohio and Texas to offer the Diesel Advanced Technology Education (DATE) program beginning in early 2019 to address a shortage of skilled vehicle service technicians.
Students enrolled in the 500-hour program will be trained to work on Mack and Volvo trucks, including powertrains, electrical and electronic systems, chassis components and software and engine diagnosis and repair.
The DATE for Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks curriculum will be taught by certified instructors at Jones Technical Institute in Jacksonville, Florida; the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, Ohio; and Western Technical College in El Paso, Texas.
DATE program graduates will receive an associates degree in diesel mechanics and a certification from the DATE program. They will be prepared for immediate employment at any of more than Mack and Volvo dealerships across the two OEM’s North American dealer network.
“Modern truck technology offers many benefits to customers, but it also requires advanced skills for maintenance and repair,” said Roy Walton, senior manager of aftermarket training for Mack Trucks. “The DATE program will help our dealer network address the severe shortage of technicians qualified to work in this highly technical field.”
“The DATE program provides students with the education and skills needed to excel in a career that’s increasingly in demand,” said Matt Flynn, director of Volvo Trucks Academy. “Graduates of the program will be ready for a technician career in our dealer network, equipped with hands-on maintenance and repair training to service the advanced modern truck technologies delivering unprecedented efficiency, performance and safety benefits.”
The American Trucking Associations’ American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) reported in October 2017 that the trucking industry will require an estimated 67,000 new technicians and 75,000 new diesel engine specialists by 2022.
Both Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks North America are part of the Volvo Group.
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