[Armyvet1]

Hoffman Auto Group making a difference.

Hoffman Leads in Hiring Veterans as Service Apprentices - drivenct.com

[nep321]

That's not good enough though. But good nonetheless.

[Armyvet1]

I got into the program here in Virginia and it's hard to place me cause my skill level is above an entry level "C Tech."

Nothing wrong with being a C Tech, everybody starts somewhere, I'm ASE and Honda/Acura certified "B Tech." Usually the shop foremen and lead drivability techs are considered "A Techs" or Master Mechanics, that's how the automotive industry tiers skill level.

The Audi veterans program is really good if you can get into it, you have to have honorable discharge and a technical military occupational speciality.

The program was created in order to meet the demands of Audi service departments, they have seen a huge increase in service and after sales car care and they forecasted low and can't keep up.

So the program is career path oriented, it brings you in at entry level, puts you with mentors, and sends you to Audi factory schools with the goal of getting you certified first year as a Audi Tier 1 Technician.

Also Snap On Tools created a tool kit specifically designed for Audi service. Anyone in the veterans program gets it at a very discounted price.

You know veterans, just like recent college grads, face obstacles in the work place. Some employers who never had any exposure to military service are unsure about hiring veterans cause of all the false notions about PTSD and such. Veterans make wonderful employees cause we understand mission objective, commitment, and sacrifice, we know his to get the job done.

[Armyvet1]

I would just like to add I think what Audi is doing with veterans is awesome, me personally maybe going to Audi Chantilly, if we can agree on salary. I make 26.50 and hour right now, I would take a little less to get my foot in the door, but I can't take a lot less.

[mlassoff]

These sound like good programs. We've tried to do veteran hiring ourselves in the past, but, have found (at least in our field) vets don't seem to have a current skill set that is useful to us. The programming languages they know are often archaic or, they come to a programming position training in IT networking, or other allied field....

[Armyvet1]

Well some fields I think are more universal then others. I cannot speak professionally about IT cause it's not my expertise.

The technological advances on today's cars have bought us technicians to a point where you have to be at least knowledgable about engine management systems, CAN Buses, those sorts of things.

Modern cars electronics systems talk to each other on Controller Area Networks or CAN. Even the technology found in today's tire and wheel assemblies on vehicles have become complex. Tire Pressure Monitoring systems as an example when one of those sensors go bad, you have to install the new one and then with a diagnostic tablet, you have to register the new sensor ID into the module so the cars computer system recognizes it and keeps the low tire light from coming on.

If your cars TPMS light comes on and stays on you may need to adjust air pressures. If you notice that that light is continuously flashing, it's setting a diagnostic trouble code alerting you of a system malfunction.

[QuickJoin]

Yes, is a good thing veterans, but on the flip side they would be hiring people regardless. Sure it's good to get veterans jobs, but economically speaking it is a wash, because those jobs would just be going to someone else.

[Armyvet1]

It's job creation that comes with the opportunity to transition out of military service back into the civilian sector and also an opportunity to cross train in a mechanical field with a pretty solid manufacturer.

Volkswagen actually owns Audi, just like General Motors has the flagship Cadillac, Audi is a subsidiary of Volkswagen.