A Creative Approach Needed to Find Techs

Dr. Timothy Dell is chairman of the University of Pittsburg (Kansas) Department of Automotive Technology.  Dell has served as the department's diesel and heavy Equipment coordinator for five years, and overseas the Caterpillar^® ThinkBIGGER program, the only program of its kind in the US.

Employers need to get creative when it comes to finding technicians, said Tim Dell, diesel and heavy equipment coordinator at Pittsburg (Kan.) State University.  One method: The Caterpillar “ThinkBIGGER” program. Here is how Dell describes the innovative technician development plan:

“ThinkBIGGER offers students the opportunity to continue their education by earning a four-year bachelor’s degree. When students graduate from an accredited two-year ThinkBIGGER program, we allow them to transfer that two-year degree to Pittsburg State University and be placed on track to graduate with their bachelor’s degree in just four 16-week semesters. The degree allows the students to focus on becoming a leader in some type of entry-level management role.

“In the ThinkBIGGER program, students will take technical management courses, business courses such as accounting, legal and social environment of business, basic marketing, organizational theory and behavior, and the remaining general education classes that are required for a typical bachelor’s degree. ThinkBIGGER students are only three classes away from earning minors in business administration, and many ThinkBIGGER students choose to take those three additional classes. And for the students who aspire to own their own dealership or become a partner some day, that minor will include numerous courses that are often required for a masters degree in business administration.

“ThinkBIGGER graduates can work in a number of different entry level management type jobs at the dealership. Some graduates might become a parts manager, others could start a career in sales, many fall into some type of product support role whether that be warranty or fleet or customer assistance, and others cross over into the role of ‘instructor,’ training dealer personnel in the latest technologies. Some graduates might also continue as a technician at the dealership.”

For more information on the ThinkBIG and ThinkBIGGER programs, click here. 

This material has been voluntarily provided by Tim Dell. Tim Dell is not speaking on behalf of Caterpillar, and the views or opinions expressed in this material are those of Tim Dell and may not represent the views of Caterpillar.