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New program addresses the soft skills gap and workplace challenges contributing to technician attrition.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida — May 2025 — RockED, the automotive industry’s premiere people development platform, has announced the launch of its Technician Development Collections, new content designed to confront one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: the alarming lack of structured training and development for automotive technicians.
With a staggering 795,000 technician roles unfilled in 2023, and projected demand set to exceed 466,000 new positions by 2027, the industry is facing a crisis that is impacting more than just staffing. Technician turnover is driving down service revenue, increasing customer wait times, and eroding a culture that should be promoting outstanding customer experiences, rewarding careers, and entrepreneurial thinking. 
“In far too many shops, the only training new technicians get is trial by fire,” said Chris Craig, Fixed Operations Content Owner at RockED. “That’s not training. That’s how we lose people. We don’t have a shortage of interest—we have a shortage of leadership, communication, and intentional development. If we want techs to stay, we have to give them a path, not just a paycheck.”
RockED’s Technician Development Collections provide that path. Launching in June 2025 as part of RockED’s Core Content only available on the RockED people development platform, the program combines attitudinal, behavioral and technical training into an engaging, gamified format designed to accelerate technician onboarding, improve soft skills, and strengthen leadership across service departments. Developed through deep industry research and feedback from over 800 professionals, the content focuses on critical areas such as:
- Attitude, time management, and adaptability
- Cultural onboarding and teamwork
- Leadership communication and accountability
- Shop productivity and technician retention strategies
The training is built around and for two core audiences: tech school students entering the workforce and service department technicians and leaders responsible for customer experience and service revenue. This dual-track approach addresses not just technician skills, but the environments they work in—helping teams build sustainable cultures that reduce churn and drive performance. Moreover, this curriculum is helping tech school students become ready for their first roles on the shop floor.
“At RockED, we exist to solve problems in ways that scale,” said Matthias Stoever, CEO of RockED. “Technician turnover is a billion-dollar drain on the industry. But it’s not inevitable. With the right training in the right moments, we can shape behaviors, elevate leadership, and create dealership experiences that technicians—and customers—want to be part of. This isn’t just content. It’s transformation. It shouldn’t be just a job. It’s a career.”Automotive leaders and tech schools looking to boost soft-skill development, reduce onboarding time, improve technician productivity, and turn soft-skills into a competitive advantage can access the Technician Development Collections through the RockED app starting June 2025.
About RockED
RockED is the premier people development platform for the automotive industry supporting the entire employee lifecycle from pre-hire and onboarding to upskilling and career transitions. With microlearning content, gamified delivery, and real-time feedback, RockED is educating the automotive workforce and solving the industry’s greatest business challenges.
RockED: Develop people. Drive performance. Fuel up by learning more today.
Media Contact
- Stephanie Woelfel
- stephanie.woelfel@rocked.us
- 239-287-7862
