How is Ford CEO Jim Farley Fixing the Company's Skills Gap?

Jim Farley, CEO of Ford has made workforce capability a priority for Ford, arguing that there is a lack of practical training routes to fill high-value roles.

Jim says: “We do not have trade schools. We are not investing in educating a next generation of people like my grandfather who had nothing, who built a middle class life and a future for his family.”

This lack of investment is having a significant impact on workforce readiness.

Ford has about 5,000 open mechanic positions that remain unfilled despite six-figure salaries.

Across the sector, a 2025 study by the National Automobile Dealers Association highlights a deficit of 37,000 trained technicians, while the National Association of Manufacturers counts more than 400,000 open manufacturing jobs in the US.

Building talent pipelines at scale

To close the gap, Ford is expanding trade education pathways that blend accredited study with paid, hands-on experience.

The Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) programme partners with community colleges near Ford dealerships, delivering a two-year curriculum that culminates in an associate degree alongside practical dealership training.

Reflecting on four decades of ASSET, Brendan Coursey, ASSET Programme Coordinator, says: “Over the past four decades, we have not only equipped countless individuals with the technical skills and knowledge needed to excel in the automotive industry, but we have also fostered a community of lifelong learners and innovators.

“Our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement has been the driving force behind our success, and I am excited to see what the future holds as we continue to shape the next generation of automotive professionals.”

For those who have already completed an automotive programme, Ford’s Ford Accelerated Credential Training (FACT) compresses advanced learning into fifteen weeks, enabling early-career technicians to deepen capability and progress more rapidly.

Together, ASSET and FACT form a pipeline that develops certified talent at pace, aligns training content with dealer and plant needs, and creates visible career ladders that improve retention.

Preparing the business for Ford+

The skills agenda is tightly bound to the company's Ford+ strategy, created to modernise the business and prioritise customer centricity through electric vehicles and digital services.

As new products demand new capabilities, Jim is setting the expectation that people development must move in alongside technology and product roadmaps.

He says: “We want to give customers services and experiences they can’t live without – including things we haven’t yet imagined”.

The leadership narrative is consistent from the board. Bill Ford, Ford Executive Chair and great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, told TIME Magazine: “Just as my great-grandfather put the world on wheels to give people the freedom of movement, our approach to the modern era is rooted in that same spirit.

“Innovation is not just about building batteries or technology for its own sake; it is about making people’s lives better.

“We are leveraging our position as the largest hourly auto employer in the US to ensure that the future of transportation is built by American workers for everyday American families.”

With Jim setting a clear organisational strategy and programmes like ASSET and FACT expanding access to skilled careers, Ford is prioritising closing a significant skills gap.

By building a talent engine that blends accredited education with paid practice, the company is seeking to reduce service bottlenecks today while preparing technicians for high-voltage systems, diagnostics and connected car updates.

The approach links workforce planning directly to product strategy, with training cohorts mapped to dealer demand and emerging EV platforms.