Page 66 - 2021 Atlanta Auto Show Guide

he coronavirus has impacted all of our lives. That’s a major understatement.
Beyond the obvious impact on health, it reaches into every corner of
Tour lives, including our ability to attend events, socialize with family

and friends, shopping for necessities, and more. It has also contributed to a
By Randy Nelson
Director of Education, resurgence of personal vehicle ownership. People have become keenly aware
The Academy for of just how important personal vehicle ownership is in our daily lives, thanks to
Automotive
Professionals the pandemic.

Public transportation, once heralded as the solution to all of our commuting needs, has seen a
stark drop in ridership, as people have placed a laser-sharp focus on limiting their exposure to
confined spaces, where they are not in control of who has access, as well as how often those
areas are sanitized. But with a personal vehicle, the owner is in the driver’s seat.

What does that mean for automotive professionals? Job security. Whether an individual is
looking to get started on their career path, or they’re seeking a change from their current field,
the time is right to get into the automotive field.

We need people to make cars. We need people to sell cars. We need people to process all
the paperwork associated with those sales. We need people to service the cars that are sold.
When you slow down and take a look at all of the jobs associated with the automotive industry,
it becomes very clear as to what an important economic driver the industry is. In Georgia, for
example, over 73,000 people were employed by franchised automotive dealerships in 2020
(based on NADA reporting). How much did that translate to in terms of salaries? $2.2 billion.

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