Since January 2018, the AED Foundation’s (AEDF) testing program has resulted in the addition of 1,405 AEDF Certified Technicians in heavy equipment. This critical milestone serves as an exemplary industry program model to alleviate North America’s diesel technician workforce shortage while simultaneously supporting the Foundation’s goal of producing 5,000 AED certified technicians by 2025.
This ambitious goal intends to increase the pipeline of qualified technicians according to the AEDF Technical Standards and helps technicians showcase their skillsets to peers, superiors and employers.
The AED Foundation’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jason Blake states, “The Foundation is extremely proud to have certified this many technicians to date, but there is still more work to be done. AEDF’s Vision [2025] goal to certify 5,000 technicians will raise the bar for technicians across the industry and bring more qualified workers into this career path. Reaching this goal will help the Foundation to assist AED members in finding high-quality technicians to employ at their dealerships.”
The AEDF Certified Technician Test includes 160 questions developed by industry leaders, testing students’ knowledge of essential industry standards and technician best practices derived from AEDF’s six core competencies. Technicians who become certified demonstrate their commitment to the heavy equipment industry and stand out from their peers in the applicant pool. This program allows technicians to show off their skills and receive a certificate proving their expertise after completing the program.
