Thinking about a career in the Auto Industry? Smart choice. Over one million new vehicles are purchased each year in Canada, making the automotive industry the country's largest employer. One in seven working Canadians is employed directly or indirectly in automotive related positions -- 125,000 in automobile manufacturing, 125,000 in automotive supplies, 85,000 in the retail sector, and thousands more in associated industries.
In 2000, about 75% of employment created in Alberta was located in Calgary. As one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Calgary provides a plethora of opportunities in the automotive industry.
The CMDA established a partnership with SAIT ( Southern Alberta Institute for Technology) in 1985. SAIT offers a diversity of training programs related to the Automotive field and the CMDA members support many Scholarship, Apprentice and Youth internship programs. For more information log on to: https://www.sait.ab.ca
Canada is a nation on wheels and many Canadians are directly involved in putting people in the driver's seat. Over one million new vehicles are purchased each year in Canada which makes the automotive industry the country's largest employer. One in seven working Canadians is employed directly or indirectly in automotive-related positions:
There are 3600+ new vehicle dealerships in Canada and over 350 in Alberta. The modern dealership is a total transportation centre, often with several separate operations under one roof. A franchised dealership is different than other automotive industry marketers such as used vehicle lots and independent service stations. The franchised new vehicle dealership has the unique right to sell a manufacturer's new vehicles and in return must meet high standards of equipment, training, customer service, parts inventory and operation facilities.
Did you know that one new vehicle franchised dealership can offer over forty different employment positions?In smaller dealerships, one person may assume several responsibilities while in larger dealerships, sub-specialists are required to meet cunsumer demand. For example, a Service Technician may specialize in tune-ups, air-conditioning, brake repair, automatic transmissions, etc. A Salesperson could specialize in Fleet, Commercial, Pre-owned, New, Leasing, etc.
If you are looking for an exciting, rewarding career, the retail automotive industry represents an excellent opportunity. It is a dynamic industry that is constantly changing to meet the needs of a high-tech society. It is also an industry that offers a wide variety of challenging, well-paying jobs for qualified, motivated people.
There are many entry-level jobs in an auto or truck dealership, but no one gets "stuck" in these jobs. There are also many mid- and senior-level positions which may require formal education.
Computers are prevalent throughout the dealership's operations and almost every position will require computer training and/or skills. Regardless of where you start, your willingness to work and your skills, experience, education and training are rewarded with better jobs and higher pay.
How high you go and how much you earn in a franchised dealership are entirely up to you.
This section aims to show you the variety of career options available in today's new vehicle dealership and to tell you about skill, education and experience requirements.
