Feb. 12, 2021—A high school automotive training program in Tennessee is driving more women to become auto mechanics, Marketplace.org reported.
Maplewood High School in Nashville, Tenn., runs a Bridgestone-sponsored training program in an effort to address the nationwide mechanic shortage while also propelling more women into the field.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, less than 2 percent of auto mechanics are women. This is out of the nearly 750,000 automotive service technicians and mechanics employed in the occupation.
Of the 24 students currently enrolled in the program, three are women, including senior Jacqueline Nanney. Nanney also works part-time at a Firestone Complete Auto Care store.
“You don’t see a lot of women working on cars physically. This is why I picked it,” Nanney told the publication. “Some people have their own opinion on why some women shouldn’t work on cars.”
