Ryder System Partners With Lincoln Tech

Lincoln Tech is proud to partner with Ryder System, Inc., the FORTUNE 500^® commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions company.  Lincoln Tech graduates from its diesel programs in cities like East Windsor, CT, Nashville, TN, Indianapolis, IN and many others have gone on to launch exciting, rewarding careers with Ryder over the years.  With today’s sophisticated engine mechanics and demand for fuel economy and cleaner vehicles, Ryder is looking to Lincoln Tech for highly trained, professional employees to join its workforce.

Ryder System, Lincoln & The Skills Gap

There’s a clear demand in today’s industry for diesel service technicians – the rapid expansion of technology in today’s trucks has increased the need for training programs that fill a skills gap in industries essential to the global economy.  That skills gap has created challenges for employers seeking qualified candidates – but it is also creating a wealth of new opportunities for individuals with the right training and skills.  For 70 years Lincoln Tech schools have helped students build the skills employers are looking for – skills that not enough candidates possess, giving Lincoln graduates an advantage when they get out into the workforce.

“Lincoln Tech has its finger on the pulse of the industry’s needs,” says Brendan McCarthy, Ryder System's Senior Service Manager of Operations.  “They have done a fantastic job growing and changing with the needs of the industry.  They set the standard for training technicians able to adapt to new and developing technologies.”

Ryder System has been a leading worldwide provider of commercial transportation equipment since 1936.  And when the skills gap began affecting the way they sought out, hired and trained new candidates for entry-level fleet technician positions, they turned to Lincoln Tech as a trusted partner in what has become a mutually beneficial relationship providing talented new workers for Ryder’s team, and bright new futures for Lincoln graduates.

Lincoln Tech students can expect industry-leading training in diesel service, informed by the very companies that hope to hire well-prepared trainees.  “We look to partner with schools that have the right curriculum,” says Patrick Pendergast, Group Director of Recruitment at Ryder System.  “A well-trained technician can grow globally – they might start as a technician, but they can go anywhere with the proper training and expertise.”

Pendergast adds that students coming out of schools like Lincoln Tech can not only service trucks and customers: they can eventually serve on advisory committees that improve the mechanical, logistical and service operations of the companies that hire them.

“Schools like Lincoln Tech play a critical role in filling our open technician positions,” he says.  “In turn, we’re excited to assist these schools in educating high school students about the value of a hands-on education and introduce them to the idea of working with a leader like Ryder.”

Beyond an understanding of how a fuel system works, leading companies also want employees who are eager to succeed in critical hands-on industries and who have the professional polish to complement their technical skills.  “We can train a new employee, but we can’t teach things like reliability, willingness to learn, or professionalism,” McCarthy explains.  “That professionalism trickles down into the work they do, into how they assess customers’ needs.  We have gone back to basics on how we recruit – we are looking for candidates with a strong core to build on, who can then develop more advanced problem-solving capabilities.”

McCarthy himself is a graduate of the East Windsor campus – he completed his training in 2008, when it was still known as the Baran Institute.  He went to work for Ryder and quickly found it was an ideal place to establish himself and grow as a diesel and truck professional.  Lincoln Tech strives to place its graduates with the best employers, and McCarthy encourages technicians to consider Ryder when they’re ready to start their new career.

“I’m confident Ryder is the best place for Lincoln Tech graduates to come and work,” he says.

With fuel emission standards driving the development of new fuel and engine technologies, diesel technicians graduating from Lincoln Tech should continue to grow in demand.  High caliber technical education will provide dedicated professionals with an exciting career and opportunities to work with world-renowned leaders like Ryder!