GM continues to support and expand ASEP, or the Automotive Service Educational Program, in an effort to get more people to train as automotive service personnel at a time when a “critical shortage of skilled technicians” is causing problems for the industry.
To attract more potential students, GM offers paid internships along with hands-on, practical training and classroom education as part of ASEP education.
About 1,500 people enrolled in ASEP during 2024 according to The General, and the automaker continues to expand the program in 2025. The course lasts for two years and covers a range of skills. It involves not only traditional mechanical repairs, but also the diagnosis adjustment of the many complex technological systems present in modern automobiles.
GM donates roughly 250 vehicles to the program each year for training purposes, along with separate engines useful for education about mechanical tuning and repairs. The educational venue also provides budding mechanics with the opportunity to make connections with dealerships that can hire them once their initial training is done.
A parallel initiative, the Shifting Gears Program, helps veterans become service technicians as well. GM says about the results of the SGP that “more than 900 veterans have completed the program and are now employed at GM dealerships, helping to alleviate the technician shortage.”
Back in 2021, GM also added a focus on electric vehicle service to help pave the way for its transition to EVs, or at least its dramatic increase in EV models. The General also expressed its thanks in 2022 to the more than 40,000 service technicians working at its dealerships and helping to keep countless vehicles running for both individual customers and fleets.
ASEP’s popularity surged in 2023, possibly as a result of an aggressive advertising campaign for the education program. The General’s spotlight on the educational opportunity appears to show the automaker is looking to create another surge this year to “[support] the sustainability of our industry for years to come.”
Comments
At the rate GM is going, they’re going need as many techs as they can get.
Your current ones are pretty useless. The last time I took my XT5 to Trinity Cadillac to address a warranty item I met a guy who was in getting regular maintenance on his Escalade and they somehow let the vehicle fall off the lift. The guy only had a few hundred miles on his SUV and already had damage to the undercarriage from this incident. The wife was demanding they give them a new vehicle as a result and man I did not blame her. Since then I’m even uncomfortable taking my own vehicle to these guys just to address a recall or anything of such. No thank you. My own trusty mechanic handles my XT5 just fine and knows more about the vehicle than the dealership claims to. The dealership for me is only for free oil changes, warranty repairs, and recalls. Nothing else.
Got a friend who has been employed at various GM dealerships over 50 years ago and is a level “A”. He’s about to retire. His biggest gripe about the “book”. You know, the amount of time GM recommends to their dealership network to complete a job. It’s called “piece work”. Example: Job “X” pays 3 hours but a skilled, crackerjack tech needs 3 1/2 or 4 hours. Some rush the job within the pay time allotted so not lose money and the few with pride take the time necessary and lose money.
To be fair, it’s not only GM but other manufacturers.
Bull ! You don’t understand a thing.