MIDLAND, Texas — With fewer mechanics come longer wait times.
That is what many car owners have discovered when they take their car to the shop for repairs.
Auto shops around the Midland-Odessa area have seen a decrease in mechanics, with many leaving due to retirement or higher paying jobs in the oil industry.
As store owners scramble to find new workers, wait times continue to tick upwards.
A nationwide parts shortage for cars of all makes and models further compounds the issue and continues to grind shops to a halt.
According to Pete Avalos, the Department Chair of the auto diesel and energy program at Midland College, this supply shortage started happening around six to eight months after the COVID-19 outbreak.
“That just, you know, threw everything into a big rift," said Avalos. "So, you know, with that in mind, we had big countries shut down, supply chains shut down, shipping channels shut down. So that effect just kind of snowballed."
There could be a small light at the end of the tunnel however. Midland College, through its advanced technology center, has been transitioning their students from the classroom to the auto shop.
"We work closely in partnerships with the dealerships here in town," Avalos said. "Not only the dealerships, but also the independent shops in order to be able to build that bridge between the students and those businesses."
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