So, I live near Toronto, Ontario, Canada and I have been thinking of getting a job as an auto mechanic and I saw that my local college has an Automotive Technician program available with a co-op option.
It is also important to note that Canada is now in a bad recession (and not really because of Trump’s tariffs, but rather the very high taxes, regulations, and lots of wasteful government spending). However, I did hear that the automotive mechanic trade is pretty recession-proof (because people will still need their cars fixed even in a recession and will be less likely to buy a new car).
I just thought that taking the Automotive Technician would really improve my chances of getting into the trade because I just don’t have any previous work experience. I also live in an area where the unemployment rate is amongst the highest in my province.
Taxes aren’t very high, what are you onabout? Mine have gone down over the years. Regulations keep people and the environment healthy, which saves people and the government money. You’ve been watching too much YouTube algorithm.
As for a recession proof job I don’t know if cars is it. When times are good people will spend money on car repair, when things are bad they will skip maintenance or DIY it, in order to pay rent or eat
I went to a trade school to be an automotive tech, and they had a job fair near the end of the program where all of the local dealerships came out to give out information and set up interviews.
I came out of the program with an entry level hourly position as a technician at the BMW dealership and worked with a master tech until I was ready to start flagging hours.
Speaking as someone from the USA, so there’s probably a bit of a cultural difference, but I’d say it’s the most likely way to secure a decent job in the industry. Otherwise, you could likely get a job busting down tires and doing oil changes at a local shop. You’ll be getting experience that way, but what you learn will be very dependent on the individual shop. It’s a much cheaper alternative, though (at least in the US).
It can be a good way to get a foot in the door somewhere. But also you can talk to local shops see if they want to take you on. You’ll want to ensure there is room for growth and they aren’t just expecting to hire just a lube tech, that you want to learn.
More education is always a good thing. Diplomas are probably a requirement for high end luxury shops that pay better. I had a friend who worked in a Ferrari dealership as a mechanic, he made good money.
You can look up average starting salaries online coming out with different diplomas and compare them. Trade schools will have the info usually somewhere on their website. Might give you a better idea.
Another quick tidbit but it’s a good time to ask yourself if you want to work on cars badly enough that you are willing to drive a shit car to do it. There are much much better salaries in aviation for essentially the same type of jobs. It’s better to be working on planes for a living so you can afford to work on cars as a hobby.
