In a recent survey of public sector fleet professionals in Northern California, 41% said they provide incentive pay for certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The survey was conducted this winter by the Northern California chapter of the Municipal Equipment Maintenance Association (MEMA) and received responses from 17 fleet organizations.

“One of our members requested an updated ASE certification survey be performed so they could gauge how other government fleets are addressing certifications for technicians and what types of compensation are provided for acquiring and maintaining them. The current and previous survey both show that there are different approaches among our member fleets in achieving ASE certifications within their operations,” said David Worthington, fleet manager for Santa Clara County, California, and MEMA chapter vice chair.

Of those that did provide incentive pay, these ranged from 0.5% per certification to 5% of total salary, depending on number of certifications and level. Others went with a flat rate, ranging from $25 a month to $150 per month, also depending on the number of certifications and level.

Some stated that their organization didn’t provide incentives because it was a listed job requirement.

However, even if they don’t pay technicians for certifications, many agencies will pay for testing and/or allow testing during work hours. In the survey, 65% of respondents said they pay for testing, and 12% said they pay for tests if the employee passes. Seventy-one percent said they cover time for testing.

“The discussions on our group email list were invaluable because members explained the reasoning behind a particular approach and shared information that you would not find as quickly from another information source,” Worthington said.