Wake Tech gets cash infusion to train next generation of auto mechanics

Advance Auto Parts recently announced it made a $250,000 donation to Wake Tech’s automotive program for a first-of-its-kind recruitment initiative. The move is aimed at increasing student diversity in a industry desperately needing employees.

For Emelyn Leon Lopez, it all started when she was 14 with a broken car window.

“We went to go somewhere to go get it fixed, and they were going to charge like $400 just to fix the window, and I was like no let’s go on YouTube and search how to do it,” Lopez said.

Over time, her love for cars and mechanics grew. She decided to make it a career.

“The thing that I love so much about it is actually doing stuff. I like being hands-on. I don’t like being just in front of a monitor all day, typing, writing and reading,” Lopez said.

Tom Greco, the CEO of Advance Auto Parts says there is a large and rapidly growing shortage of mechanics.

“If left unchecked, it’s going to continue to be a big challenge for our customers. They may need a car repair and you can’t get it repaired in the time frame they’d like to get it repaired,” Greco said.

“If current trends continue, we expect there to be over 600,000 openings by 2024,” he added.

He says 91% of mechanics today are male and two-thirds of them are white.

His company’s $250,000 donation will help 25 students enrolling in the program over the next five years by funding $5,000 scholarships to offset education and living expenses. A one-time $600 stipend will help them purchase the tools they need to complete their studies and start their careers.

In Wake Tech’s engine repair class, of the 17 students, three are women. Lopez is the only woman of color.

"It doesn’t make me feel weird. It actually makes me feel happy in a way," she said. "I’m one of the few. Yes, I got this. Yes, I can do it."

Greco says there are many opportunities in the automotive industry that don’t always include getting hands dirty. Options include electricians, inspectors, instructors, agents and retailers — all fields with promising growth.

“I want to make a little shop on my own land, a mechanic shop where friends and family can always go and eventually maybe go big,” Lopez said.