It’s no secret the technician workforce is aging. As more veteran technicians approach retirement, younger technicians need to be ready to fill the gaps. But decades of hands-on experience, diagnostic know-how, and problem-solving skills don’t transfer automatically.
The only way to stay ahead is to plan for it. That means training your current team and making sure your shop doesn’t lean too heavily on just one person. A solid plan keeps productivity high, morale steady, and your shop running strong, even as your team changes.
In this blog, we’ll break down how you should start preparing for your veteran technicians to retire.
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Retirement might seem like a distant event, but a key team member could decide to turn in their notice at any time. Suddenly, you’re not just down a tech, you’re down your go-to problem solver, your mentor, and the one who kept the toughest jobs moving. And without a plan in place to pass down knowledge and skills, the impact can be bigger than you expect.
Here’s what that breakdown can look like in your shop if you’re not preparing for it:
When veteran technicians leave and the rest of the team isn’t fully up to speed, quality tends to shift. The change doesn’t always happen overnight, but over time, the absence of that trusted, experienced voice can quietly impact how work gets done. Here’s how your shop can be affected:
Veteran technicians bring more to the shop than technical skill. They set the pace, shape the work environment, and help hold the team together. When that presence is gone, the shift affects more than just productivity. Over time, you might start to see:
Even if no one says it out loud, the weight of it is there, and if left unaddressed, it can lead to turnover that’s tough to recover from.
Losing veteran technicians can do more than disrupt the daily workflow. It can gradually chip away at the long-term health of your business. When the team slows down, quality slips, or customers stop feeling confident, the effects start showing up in your bottom line.
Here’s how that can start to show up in your numbers:
You don’t need to pause everything or turn your shop upside down to get ahead of retirement. But if you’ve got a few seasoned techs who’ve been in the game for a while, now’s a good time to start thinking about what comes next.
The first step is simple: take a look around. Who’s been with you the longest?
These are the technicians who’ve been through it all—year after year, job after job. If you’ve got a gut feeling that retirement might be on the horizon for one or two of them, now’s the time to make note who they are.
Once you’ve got a sense of who might be nearing retirement, shift your focus to what they know. Years of experience often live in a tech’s head, and unless you’re doing something to capture it, that knowledge can disappear after their retirement.
You don’t necessarily need a formal process to transfer their decades of knowledge. Just start creating opportunities for the rest of your team to learn from your veterans.
One easy way is to pair senior techs with newer or mid-level techs during more challenging repairs—jobs that involve diagnostics, electrical work, or anything that might be relatively tricky. These moments naturally lend themselves to mentorship. Encourage open conversations where experienced techs explain their thinking out loud, and younger techs can ask questions as they go.
Read More: Top Reasons You Should Cross-Train Your Technicians
Training is one of the most practical ways to protect your team from knowledge loss, whether someone retires next year or next month. You want to be sure your team is ready to step up, and a steady, built-in training routine helps close that gap before it forms.
Good training brings the whole team up a level. It gives your newer techs the tools to grow, helps your mid-level techs take on more, and even sharpens the habits of your seasoned crew. Instead of everything falling on one person, you’ve got a team that can step in, back each other up, and keep things moving whether someone’s out for a day or stepping away for good.
Having a plan is one thing. Having the right tools to make it work is another. A training platform like Today’s Class helps you roll out consistent, targeted training without pulling your team off the floor or slowing down the day.
Here’s how our software can help your shop stay ready:
Today's Class helps turn training into a routine so your team is always learning, always improving, and always ready for what’s next.
Read More: The Ultimate Guide For Building a Stronger Team
Technician workforce planning works best when it starts early. Building a stronger team now means fewer disruptions later and a smoother handoff when your veteran technicians decide it’s time to step back. Focus on giving your team the tools, training, and structure they need to keep growing and keep the shop moving forward.
If you want to start preparing your team for what’s next, connect with Today’s Class and see how training can help you keep experience and skill right where it belongs—in your shop.