Skills you need to build tomorrow's cars

Pretty much every auto show reveals a "car of the future" -- usually a flashy, futuristic contraption that seems more suitable for a superhero than an American family. But auto makers are also producing innovative vehicles that are far more likely to show up soon in dealerships and driveways. Workers who know how to design and build these cars will increase their chances of surviving some tough times in the business. 

The auto industry neared total collapse during the recession, but it has since rebounded, with Chrysler, Ford and General Motors finally reporting profits and adding jobs. But fundamental restructuring means that far fewer jobs are available than during the boom years of the 1990s and early 2000s. And the shrinkage is likely to continue. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in motor vehicle parts and manufacturing is expected to drop 16.3 percent between 2008 and 2018.

That means many current and former auto workers will be looking for new careers, if they aren't already. Those interested in staying in the industry must grapple with a shift in the way cars are made these days: production is leaner and more efficient, and the vehicles in general tend to use less fuel and rely more heavily on computers. Hybrids are growing in popularity, and electric vehicles (like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt) are gaining attention even if the technology hasn't yet been widely adopted.

So what skills should auto workers learn in order to stay competitive in a narrowing and ever-more competitive job market? Here are a few ideas:

Learn to build lithium-ion batteries

Conventional vehicles rely on lead acid batteries, a technology that has been around since the mid-19^th century. Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids often use lithium-ion batteries, which are also used in a wide range of consumer electronics like PDAs and laptops. Lithium-ion manufacturers are seeking skilled workers and are even willing to sponsor training programs. That's what battery-maker A123 Systems is doing at community colleges in Michigan, according to a recent report.

Learn to build wind turbines

A number of auto makers are branching out into wind energy, in part because building wind turbines is similar in certain ways to auto manufacturing: both produce huge, powerful machines with thousands of components. Michigan's Economic Development Corporation is touting the state's suitability for wind energy, citing its "collective legacy of automobile manufacturing and innovation." Some companies have already jumped on board. For example, in 2009 the wind energy company Mariah Power opened a turbine manufacturing facility in Mainstee, Mich., in a former auto parts plant.

Learn high-tech skills

Increasingly, auto production is done by robots -- sophisticated computer-controlled devices that weld, paint and assemble vehicles, among other jobs. But, despite some movies you may have seen, robots can't work without human operators. Completing a computer-training program can position you to work in robot-controlled assembly and add to your list of marketable skills. Being able to work in more than one area is increasingly important for production workers, since cost-cutting and efficiency measures mean that many of them have to do more than one job, according to the BLS.