For today’s story auto manufacturers are looking to track down its next generation of employees, as a key section of its workforce ages and retires. According to a recent report from MiBiz, Benteler Automotive Corp., a supplier for automakers will see 66% of the company maintenance technicians “retire out of the workforce over the next few years.”

The retiring group of about 60 employees works for automakers at various Michigan manufacturing facilities. The proposed plan to replace them is an apprenticeship program, which is a 5-year program that works in conjunction with Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Speaking about the plan to replace the retirees, Moses, a manager at a Benteler Auto training facility said in a statement to MiBiz, “The guy I am looking for, someone else already has him…It really takes growing your own (workforce) now to have a sustainable long-term plan for the normal attrition of retirement.” The report indicates using the apprenticeship program used to be an auto industry norm, and is now getting more and more looks as top talent can be difficult to find.