No-cost pilot gives students hands-on experience with dealership service workflows before entering the workforce

ATLANTA, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cox Automotive Inc. today announced a new pilot program that will provide students at automotive technical schools with access to Xtime software, training and learning resources at no cost, helping prepare the next generation of technicians for careers in dealership service.

The pilot is launching with Southern Union State Community College in Opelika, Alabama. Through the program, students will gain hands-on experience with real dealership service workflows before entering the workforce, helping bridge the gap between classroom training and the technology they may utilize on the job.

“Dealerships across the country need skilled technicians, but the challenge isn’t a lack of opportunity. It’s making more people aware of the career paths available and giving them the skills and experience to succeed,” said Brenda Berg Fixed Operations Strategist, Cox Automotive. “By bringing Xtime into the classroom, we can give students practical experience with the technology dealerships use every day and help them enter the workforce more prepared from day one.”

Building Job-Ready Skills Before Graduation

The automotive service industry continues to face significant demand for skilled technicians. According to TechForce Foundation, the supply of automotive technicians currently meets just 59% of annual demand, leaving more than 20,000 positions unfilled each year. At the same time, dealerships are competing aggressively for experienced talent, making technical schools an increasingly important pipeline for the industry.

Through the Xtime pilot program, participating schools will receive a dedicated training environment designed around real dealership service processes. The program includes:

• Access to Xtime software and dealership service workflows at no cost to participating schools.
• Training and onboarding resources for instructors, including playbooks, videos and ongoing learning materials.
• Hands-on experience for students using the platform in a technician role.
• Training environments tailored to participating schools and their existing automotive programs, including manufacturer-specific content where appropriate.

The program is instructor-led, giving educators the tools to incorporate Xtime into their existing curriculum while allowing students to build practical experience before graduation.

For dealerships, familiarity can help create a stronger pool of candidates who already have exposure to common service workflows and dealership technology.

Creating a Stronger Technician Pipeline

The pilot is being developed in collaboration with a dealership partner, Allen Turner Auto, and the Automotive Technology Department at Southern Union State Community College.

“Being selected as the first pilot school for Cox Automotive’s Xtime program opens opportunities and gives an edge to our Automotive Technology students,” said Keith Futral, Automotive Technology Instructor at Southern Union State Community College. This partnership allows us to introduce students to the technology, service management processes, and professional practices they will encounter in modern automotive dealerships. “This fully supports our goal at Southern Union State Community College, to bridge the gap between classroom education and real-world industry experience.”

“We are appreciative that Cox Automotive is bringing Xtime software into the curriculum at Southern Union,” said Allen Turner, Founder and Owner of Allen Turner Automotive. “In my opinion, it is the best tool being used in shops all across America today and helps equip these future automotive technicians with real life skills for the workplace.”

The initiative comes as competition for skilled technicians continues to intensify across dealerships and the broader automotive service industry. With many experienced technicians already employed, dealers are increasingly looking for new ways to attract talent earlier and build relationships with students before they enter the workforce.

Automotive technician careers can offer strong earning potential, job security and opportunities for advancement beyond the service bay, including leadership and management roles. Cox Automotive sees technical education as an opportunity to increase awareness of those career paths while helping students build skills that translate directly into the workplace.

The initial rollout will serve as a launch-and-learn pilot, allowing Cox Automotive, participating schools and dealership partners to gather feedback and better understand how the program can support instructors, students and employers. Any future expansion will be informed by pilot results, participant feedback and resource requirements.

For more information about Cox Automotive’s Xtime, visit https://xtime.com/.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first- and third-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on four continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, vAuto®, Dealertrack®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch® and Cox Fleet®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $23 billion in annual revenue. Cox Automotive has been included on Glassdoor’s Best Companies in Tech & AI 2026 and Best Place to Work in 2026 lists. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Cox Automotive Inc.