Canada’s automotive industry is the eighth largest in the world, employing over half a million people. Workers in this globally competitive sector are involved in the production, selling and maintaining of motor vehicles and their component parts. Automotive mechanics will find training opportunities at the Canadian Automotive and Trucking Institute (CATI), Vancouver Community College and the Automotive Training Centre, which trains and supplies mechanics for its 1,700 dealerships in Ontario and British Columbia. General hourly rates for mechanics start at C
$17, but can be as low as C
$12 in Prince George. Service managers are responsible for hiring employees, coordinating the department actvities and achieving sales targets. Requirements for the job are usually a good mechanical knowledge and at least five years’ experience in personnel. Average starting salaries for service managers are around C
$32,000 in Sarnia and Kingston and C
$58,000 in Vancouver and Edmonton. Those with an aptitude for sales and good product knowledge can work as sales consultants in the industry. Typical salaries for sales consultants range from C
$12,000 to C
$68,000.