Helping students envision the future: 2024 Student Aftermarket Day

The 2024 Student Aftermarket Day was a success! On November 20, 2024, the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) and its Young Professionals in the Auto care sector (YPA) Committee organized a Career showcase and informative sessions where students learned about the auto care sector that employs almost 500,000 Canadians, the future of the industry, and had the opportunity to network with key industry players at the Career showcase. 

Jean-François Champagne, CAE, president and CEO of AIA Canada kicked off the day with a session about successfully navigating Canada’s auto care sector.   

“When you think about the automotive aftermarket, it is an essential service in this country—the pandemic was proof of that. Making sure doctors and nurses were able to drive in a time of crisis was critical. People working in the industry were able to do so throughout the pandemic and we came out stronger.” said Champagne. “I have been in this industry for over a decade, and I am continuously impressed by the number of successful people in it.   

Shortly after, students were able to browse booths at the Career showcase and get up close and personal with key industry players, such as MANN+HUMMEL, Mr. Lube + Tires, DRiV/Tenneco, Simplicity Car Care, and more. Carquest Canada, Fountain Tire, and the Canadian Tire Corporation! Students had the opportunity to learn about various career paths, get to know different auto care sector employers, and gain different perspectives on what working in the auto care sector is like.   

After lunch, students heard from three Automotive Business School of Canada (ASBC) alums about their journey after graduation. Presented by Patrick Verriet of MANN+HUMMEL, students gained valuable insight into the auto care sector. 

“The people in this industry are my favourite thing by far. Colleagues, industry peers, customers, competitors—it feels like such a community. I have only been in this industry for a short period, but it makes sense that everyone sticks around. It is almost like everyone is a friend.” said Vincent Montemarano, strategic account analyst with DRiV. “The industry really pushes that too. There are plenty of opportunities to learn, do workshops, learn new perspectives, and get the help you need.” 

Later in the afternoon, Stephanie Cooney-Mann of UAP Inc., talked about how one can succeed in the industry, the importance of having a solid career development plan in place, and what can be done to catch the eye of employers. 

“The only person that is going to provide success in your career is you. You are in the driver’s seat of that. You need to actively prepare for your future—and you are already doing that by sitting here today. Attending events like this is super important; you are having conversations with other people, putting yourself out there, and developing different skills.”  

Soon after, the Best-in-class presentation winners were announced, where Gabrion Tulang, Kate Loline Antioquia, and Dinili Kirtisnghe won based on their presentation “Connecting mobile mechanics and customers.” 

Student Aftermarket Day ended with more networking and exciting prize draws. Until next year!