Construction continues to face a critical need for new qualified service technicians, and over the next decade Caterpillar and Cat dealers alone expect to hire tens of thousands of these professionals just to meet current demands.
To celebrate the work technicians do and give them the chance to show off their skills, Caterpillar released the 10th edition of its popular Cat Trials video series, Cat Trial 10: Tech Test on March 23 2021.
In the new video (above) 18 Cat dealer service technicians and apprentices compete head-to-head in a five-part obstacle course that highlights the company’s products and services.
Cat Trial 10 comes on the heels of the October 2020 release of Cat Trial 9: PAC-MAN which saw five players – represented by Cat customers, expert equipment operators and professional gamers – use remote control to guide Caterpillar 236D3 skid steers around a real-life dirt replica of the PAC-MAN board to chase ‘power pellets’ that represent key services such as Caterpillar Value Agreements, Cat Financial, the Cat App for mobile fleet management, and Repair Options.
This time, Caterpillar turns the focus toward increasing awareness of the demand for skilled technicians and the numerous job opportunities available in construction. The Cat dealer network currently has approximately 1,600 open U.S.-based positions for skilled technicians.
To illustrate the need, Caterpillar created a life-sized, fast-paced obstacle course that tested mechanical aptitude, engine and application knowledge, comprehension of Cat services, computer skills and ended with a safety mindset assessment.
All contestants were Cat dealer service technicians or apprentices, many of whom are going through a technician apprenticeship program, like Caterpillar’s ThinkBig, to gain classroom and on-site, hands-on training.
“Our technicians are key to helping our customers build a better world,” Dave Faber, global general service manager, Caterpillar, was quoted. “These positions are challenging, high-tech and in high demand. These are careers that are well compensated, too. We’re hopeful this video provides people a closer look at some of the skills technicians have and how they apply them in their jobs.”
Dealer technician salaries vary depending on experience level, geographic location and dealer compensation structures, but the average salary of an experienced technician is approximately $68,500, which is in the range of the 2019 U.S. family median household income.
Cat dealers currently employ more than 70,000 service technicians. To learn more about open positions, click here.