High school students gain real-world service technician experience through internship with Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc.

It’s no secret there is a shortage of service technicians in the heavy equipment industry. Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM) took a proactive approach to recruiting and training potential employees by giving promising high school students the opportunity to be interns at two of KSM’s Texas branches during the 2022-23 school year.

KSM partnered with Dubiski Career High School — part of the Grand Prairie Independent School District (GPISD) — because of its four-year Applied Agriculture Engineering program, which is within the school’s Human Services Transportation Academy.

“The students are going through a technical program at Dubiski that focuses on the basics of automotive and diesel technology that gives them a background in the functions of engines, transmissions and other systems,” said Mark Millage, Central Regional Service Manager for KSM. “Our training director heard about it, and we decided to tour the school. We were very impressed, so we collaborated to start this program.”

Millage, Dallas Service Manager Bobby Deaton, and Fort Worth Service Manager TJ Iannacone selected five candidates — four juniors and one senior — for interviews and were so impressed by the students that all five were invited to participate in the internship. In addition to their high school program, most of the students had some background working on machinery through family farms or part-time jobs.

“We looked for several attributes such as initiative, as well as experience and their desire to pursue a career as a technician,” said Deaton. “The students we chose had the whole package. We couldn’t be more pleased with them. They come to the shop, punch in, and go straight to work. With the mentors’ guidance, they are learning to do everything from moving machines to inspections to working on the electronics and hydraulics. They get a taste of everything.”

Future career possibilities

As interns, the students spend two or three days per week in either KSM’s Dallas or Fort Worth service shop where they are mentored by experienced technicians. The school district transports the students to and from the shops. The students also have the option to work during non-scheduled hours such as during holiday breaks. KSM pays them for all hours they put in, and they earn school credit.

“This is a great way for them to experience what it’s like to work in a shop on a day-to-day basis and see all aspects of what service techs do, from the basics of routine services to troubleshooting to all types of repairs,” said Iannacone. “We hope it reinforces their desire to choose this career path. Additionally, we see this as a way to get potential Kirby-Smith techs started at an early age.”

The hands-on aspect and time spent with experienced mentors is extremely valuable, according to Van Ratsaphangthong, a GPISD Career and Technical Education Academy Director.

“It’s a great opportunity to actually do the work versus hearing about it or watching a video,” he said. “Being in the shop lets them see whether this is the right fit for them, and it’s okay if it’s not. What we are seeing is that all the students are highly engaged and interested in pursuing this as a career. Everyone involved believes this partnership with the school and Kirby-Smith is a win, and it’s potentially a future pipeline for students to become full-time employees at Kirby-Smith.”

Oscar Dalicia, the lone senior in the program, can already see himself working in a KSM shop someday. He is hoping to attend the Komatsu Advanced Career Training Program at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) in Okmulgee, Okla., which is a two-year program that alternates between time on campus and time at a Komatsu distributor’s shop. Participants earn an associate degree in applied science when they complete the program and are often sponsored by a Komatsu distributor.

“I have a passion for big equipment,” stated Dalicia, who works in the Fort Worth shop. “The ability to work on it through this internship program is fun and valuable at the same time. Having an experienced mentor guiding us really adds to the experience, because we learn so much from them. I definitely can see this as a long-term career path.”

Jose Pedroza, a junior, shared a similar outlook.

“At our age, it’s hard to choose what you want to do as a career, but when we got to this program, and I saw the structure of how [KSM] works and how their employees operate, it’s definitely what I want to do as a career,” said Pedroza. “We get paired with experienced technicians, and any job they are doing, we get to help. In an industry like this, experience is the best teacher, so getting to come out and work with the techs and on the machines is awesome.”

Potential continuation

Both KSM and GPISD personnel see the internship as a success. They hope to continue the program and potentially expand it in the future.

“Discussions have taken place, and we see the possibilities, including getting kids in their sophomore year of the Applied Agriculture Engineering program involved,” said Ratsaphangthong. “The kids are getting great knowledge through their school program, and this has just built on that and benefitted everyone involved.”

Millage added, “We are really focused on developing talent. It’s difficult to find qualified techs, and this program can be a way for us to potentially expand the talent pool. It’s become a very good relationship. The kids do a tremendous job, and we couldn’t be happier with how this has worked out.”