Olivia Decoteau grew up watching her grandfather restore old vehicles and studying the welds her father made. Now the high school junior gets to put her own skills to work on a 50-year-old Ford pickup headed for one of the auto industry's biggest stages. "I've worked on trucks before but never an F-350," she said.
Every great technician started with someone who let them get their hands dirty.
Northern Tool's Build IV F-350 Project by the Numbers
Northern Tool + Equipment donated the truck to Flandreau Indian School's career and technical education class through its Build IV program, which promotes skilled-trades careers.
BUILD SHEET
Vehicle: 1976 Ford F-350, from a working Oregon farm
Condition: Runs, but students were warned not to step too hard on the rusted floorboards
The build: "America's Ultimate Trades Toolbox," with compartments showcasing construction, electrical, automotive detailing, and more
The team: Flandreau Indian School students, half of them female for the first time in the program
Support: DeWalt tools, House of Kolor paint and a reopened paint booth, custom painter Keaton Lee, and technicians from Einspahr Auto Plaza in Brookings, South Dakota
Deadline: May 5
Debut: SEMA Show, Las Vegas, November 2027
The skilled-trades gap is real. There are about three job openings for every person who completes a relevant training program, leaving an estimated shortage of 1.3 million workers, according to Lightcast.
Asked whether the truck had anything that could use his welding skills, senior Dominick Vitsui didn't hesitate: "Oh yeah. The floor."
How Dealers Can Build the Next Generation of Technicians
Einspahr Auto Plaza is the dealership in this story, and its techs are helping students with diagnostic and technical work. That's exactly the kind of involvement that gets young people excited about automotive careers before another industry claims them. Other hands-on trades are competing hard for that same talent.
So get them early. Today's technicians combine advanced technology with real hands-on skill, and that's a compelling pitch when students actually get to see it. Partner with a local shop class, invite students into your service drive, and show them what the job really looks like.
We're hoping to see this truck in person at SEMA, and we'll bring that energy back to you.
The technician shortage gets solved one shop class at a time.
