Creating a modern culture of learning to motivate current (and future) employees
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When I graduated from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, I knew I wanted to go into business. I had spent time working in all of the departments at my family’s car dealership in Kokomo while I was a student, so when I was done with college, it made sense to continue in that direction. Now a few decades later, I have followed in my father’s footsteps and lead our family’s car dealership as CEO, growing our group to four locations in Kokomo, Tipton and Lafayette.
I had a vision and a plan, and I’m proud to say I was able to follow through. But stories like mine are becoming more rare. Only about half of students at 4-year institutions graduate, and according to a recent study, only 36% of Americans have confidence in higher education, a number that has been steadily declining for nearly a decade. If the next generation of students isn’t looking to a traditional four-year degree to get trained up for their future careers, it’s more important than ever to offer different kinds of opportunities to prepare them for success, as well as support other adults in their goals for continuing education as nontraditional learners.
Chariot Automotive Group has developed the Chariot Automotive Institute, a hands-on educational program that’s benefiting high school students in Indiana by providing them access to a full-time career, as well as addressing the automotive technician workforce gap as we continue to see a nationwide shortage. The first cohort of students wrapped up classes in the spring, and we’re looking forward to welcoming back several students – as well as many new ones – for the 2024-2025 school year. We’ve learned a lot in a short amount of time when it comes to what these students are looking for, both in a future career as well as the ways they come to understand what is expected of them.
Several of our students have shared that they appreciate a hands-on approach to learning, especially when focusing on a trade such as automotive technology. By balancing a teacher’s impact in the classroom with an opportunity to bring students into the service bays to get their hands dirty – literally – we’re learning how best to optimize the time we have and give them real-world experience. We were proud to see a handful of teens joining Chariot Automotive Group’s forces for summer work after participating in the program, helping build on their growing foundation of knowledge from the past year.
I have also seen the benefits of supporting nontraditional students and learners who already work within our trade. Chuck Jones, who works as the general manager of our Academy dealership in Tipton, decided to pursue a business degree through Ivy Tech Community College. He had considered going to school for years, but didn’t know if it was the right path forward and whether it could fit into his busy life. By partnering with Ivy Tech, Chariot Automotive Group is encouraging our employees to look into ways to grow and continue education in their own way. Chuck is a great example to others, including our young students, that you’re never too old to better yourself.
Investing in employees – or future employees, as we hope the case may be – is incredibly important to me, and it should be important to anyone who owns a business or manages others. By doing so, we can create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, inviting team members to bring fresh perspectives, updated skills and new layers of understanding into their roles. It also helps our workers know they are valued and supported in their professional growth. When one of our team members raises their game, all of us are lifted up and held to a higher standard.
Even if the way we engage with education may change, it’s clear that the need to grow and develop remains. I would encourage other business leaders to take initiative to see how they can support skills growth within their own community.
Rex Gingerich has more than 40 years of automotive experience and is the Founder and CEO of Chariot Automotive Group.