The Essential Economy: Technical Talent for the Auto Industry Future  

• Strong partnerships between employers, K‑12 schools, and higher education are essential for helping students understand evolving career paths and access real‑world learning opportunities. 

• Engaging students requires reaching them through the channels they use most, while offering clear, accessible guidance on the full range of post‑secondary and skilled‑trades pathways. 

• Education and industry must innovate thoughtfully to ensure students are prepared for both today’s workforce and rapidly changing future demands. 

At the 2026 Detroit Auto Show, a panel discussion, moderated by MichAuto’s Senior Director Drew Coleman, brought together Valvoline Global Operations President and Chief Executive Officer, Jamal Muashsher, Macomb Community College’s President, Jim Sawyer, and Ford Next Generation Learning’s Partnership Director and Community Coach, Scott Palmer, to explore how to collaboratively build a sustainable talent pipeline for the auto industry’s tech and energy transition. 

Throughout the panel discussion, a consistent theme emerged: the importance of partnerships and the shared desire for what’s best for students. As skills rapidly evolve to prepare students for the jobs of the future, Sawyer stressed the importance of partnerships with employers to understand their needs, saying, “It’s our responsibility to put the programs together to help address those needs.”

Sawyer also mentioned the importance of partnerships with K-12 partners and universities because “for those skills that require advanced degrees, we need to provide a conduit to help those students move on to a successful university.”

When Valvoline launched its Aspiring Mechanics Program (AMP), Muashsher said the company relied on strong partnerships and meaningful connections to create immersive experiences and real‑world demonstrations. One specific example included Valvoline leveraging its partnership with Formula 1 and taking students from a school they work with in Mexico to the Mexico Grand Prix, where they connected with engineers and technicians to better understand career paths beyond their initial perceptions.

No matter if they’re in Mexico or back home in Michigan, there are different ways to engage K-12 students, according to the panel, and there is no single solution. Expanding on this, Palmer says that these students have “different ways of engagement” and how they spend time.

“We need to engage them not only when they’re right for making those decisions, but in ways that we are reaching them and engaging them in where they’re living on a day-to-day basis, whether that’s online or through social media, those types of things,” Palmer said.

The panel also touched on how some students question the value of the educational pipeline, often thinking it’s simply about getting a two- or four-year degree. However, Sawyer advocates for a broader range of postsecondary options, such as union skilled trades programs, emphasizing that, at the end of the day, “It’s about developing those skills and making them marketable.”

For K–12 students, it’s important to understand what all those options actually are, Palmer explains. Returning to the idea that many students receive most of their information through their phones, this can become a real advantage — an accessible way to reach them where they already are.

Still, because they can’t always rely on getting this guidance at home or from a counselor, Palmer said, “we have to be much more hands‑on in the weeds of it all,” by using those digital touchpoints to spark curiosity and ultimately encourage students to explore what’s happening inside the plants to then get them physically in the plants.

When managing the priorities of today’s talent landscape, Muashsher said that “we have to prioritize based on the impact that we can make.” He emphasized that partnerships operate as a two‑way street: one partner can share the feedback they need, enabling the other to provide the right resources for mutual success. 

Many industry leaders recognize that the market is shifting. To meet this moment, Muashsher also noted, “It’s not just about creating great products and great service. It’s about giving back and getting involved in our own industry.” 

For Valvoline, long-time collaboration with mechanics has kept these changes front and center, reinforcing the need to continually develop solutions and programs that meet technicians’ evolving needs. From the community college perspective, the challenge lies in innovation that doesn’t outpace practicality, according to Sawyer.  

“We want to be on the cutting edge, not the bleeding edge,” Sawyer said. “We have to have opportunities for our students when they complete.” That means equipping learners with skills and tools that employers actually use, rather than experimental ones that may fade quickly. 

To support this, Macomb Community College regularly meets with companies considering Macomb County, showing how strong partnerships help shape a responsive workforce pipeline. 

Looking ahead, the panel emphasized the growing need to blend technical skills with human‑centered, transferable skills, especially as industry change accelerates. Muashsher also explained that vehicle maintenance services will shift rapidly. With drivers keeping their cars longer and new demands emerging from e‑drive systems and advanced diagnostics, new skill sets will be essential. 

“What comes next is making sure we’re making the significant investments to give both the timely resources and the access to continue to enable the additional credentialing that’s going to be required to be successful,” Muashsher said.