Garages and car dealers are running on empty when it comes to qualified auto technicians. Many factors have led to the breakdown.

One New York high school has a covetable automotive program that possibly could be the diagnosis to repair the problem statewide if it could spread to other school districts.

Austin Relyea, is a recent high school graduate. He might represent a solution to a growing problem. The TechForce Foundation reports that auto tech demand outpaced supply five to one. And they predict that, by 2025, the shortage of auto techs will balloon to almost 800,000.

“The demand right now is really high because a lot of the older school mechanics are leaving the trade. Not a lot of people are getting blue-collar lately because it's a lot of manual labor. You're getting dirty, you're working hard. My end goal is to be a mechanic for automotive. I'm not really into the book work; I like to get my hands dirty," said Relyea.

Austin’s school district provides him and more than 54 other automotive students at East Syracuse Minoa High School with a special program to promote their passion.

“This program is very unique in the experience it gives the students. It allows students to get hands-on and to my knowledge, there is no other school in our area that allows us experience. I know some of the more local schools do shop vehicles, vehicles that aren’t functioning on a roadway, but we actually serve as vehicles that people drive to work every day. So, it's really rewarding knowing that we're helping somebody get to work,” said Relyea.

Leading this solution to a major problem for drivers is automotive technology teacher Mike Edmunds.

“There's a demand everywhere. All the shops you call for an appointment for, you know, even just a basic oil change. And it's two weeks out. What makes this program unique again is the access to live work and obviously the program that developed over the last 20 years of students voting on what they get to rebuild and raffle off," said Edmunds.

The class name Spartan Garage is best known for giving the students the opportunity to buy and restore a classic vehicle that they then annually raffle off during the Syracuse Nationals.

“The students get to build this truck; they get to drive this truck,” Edmunds says.

Conner Rosso, a 2020 ESM graduate, says Spartan Garage was a catalyst in his confidence and skill set to launch his own company focused on cars. He owns a busy commercial high end car detailing company.

"ESM does a great job of showing kids that you don't need to go to college necessarily to become successful or have a career. And I found that out for myself, you know not going to college and starting a company," said Rosso.

Relyea's passion for repairing cars, after earning a two-year automotive college degree, will financially set him up ahead of many of his graduating class.

"The earning potential for automotive careers, It's pretty good, actually. You have to buy tools; you don't really have many college fees or any student debt," he said.

According to Salary.com, automotive technician jobs have a starting salary of about $51,000 per year. Master automotive technicians can make well over $100,000 a year.