The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers/New Jersey, an association representing auto repair shops and technicians, isn’t afraid to play employment matchmaker for its members.

What’s the benefit? A lot of associations have a job board, but the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers/New Jersey (AASP/NJ) takes a different tactic. Through its Labor Pool service, it helps match industry professionals with jobs at auto body and repair shops throughout the state. You know, kinda like a dating service. “If you have a skill related to the automotive industry and are looking for work, don’t wait! Call the AASP/NJ Labor Pool today and let us know that you are available,” the association states on its website. “We may have a job waiting for you.”

Why it works for them: Like the construction industry, AASP/NJ has struggled to bring younger generations of workers into its professional fold. The Labor Pool approach helps to ensure that that the industry is leveraging the workers it has more effectively. “AASP/NJ understands that finding qualified employees in our industry is getting more and more difficult each year,” Executive Director Charles Bryant told Collision Week (subscription). “It’s not a new problem, but it is one that is increasingly growing with the lack of young technicians coming into the automotive repair industry.”

Other benefits offered: The group offers a variety of other perks for its members, including discounts on payroll and human resource services, a member insurance offering, help with compliance and renewals, and access to legislation and forms relevant to the industry.

And if the group’s members need to refer their customers to a rental car service—a common need after an accident—they also can participate in a revenue-generating program with Hertz, which could become a potential revenue source for auto body repair shops. Did someone say “mutually beneficial”?

(iStock/Thinkstock)