John Stahl admits that the automotive industry took a hard hit during the recession, but it has rebounded quicker than most people expected.
“With the exception of Toyota, almost all car manufacturers saw double-digit growth last year, and I’m starting to get steady calls for our students again,” said Stahl, program director of the Chrysler College Automotive (CAP) program at Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville.
“When you consider that over 9 million new cars are put on the road every year, that people are hanging onto their cars longer — and those cars need service — and that many of our current technicians are nearing retirement age, the demand for technicians is rising,” he said.
Gwinnett Tech is well-equipped to meet that demand. It accepts 100 to 120 students a year into the program, which offers an associate degree, diploma and certificates of credit to provide students with entry-level skills for the auto industry.
The college accepts students twice a year into its general automotive program and once a year into the Toyota/T-TEN (degree or diploma) or CAP (degree) programs. Factory-specific programs, which prepare students to work for Toyota or Chrysler dealerships, are more competitive.
“Students in the Chrysler program will come out as Level III technicians, and they’ll have real hands-on training through paid internships while they are in school,” Stahl said.
Students in the general automotive program gain entry-level skills to work in dealerships or independent repair shops.
“We’re looking for people who enjoy cars,” Stahl said. “I spent 20 years as a technician, then moved into management and became a service manager for Chrysler before coming here to teach their CAP program. I never felt like I had to get up and go to work a day in my life because cars were my passion.”
Automotive students should be good with computers and must be able to handle electrical courses. Students are required to have clean driving records.
“The 2011 Dodge Caravan has 32 computers on it and they are all networked like a business. Technicians who work on cars today could have been engineers. They are highly skilled people,” he said.
Because automotive technicians learn by doing, Gwinnett Tech has three labs and 50 working bays. Students work on donated cars and use specialized tools donated by manufacturers.
“Having partnerships with Chrysler and Toyota makes our general automotive program that much stronger,” Stahl said. “Our fleet is pretty new and that is a huge advantage to our students. They are learning on the latest and greatest technology, which makes them more desirable in the marketplace.”
Students take courses in all car systems, including engine, brakes, electrical lighting, suspension, fuel, transmission, and heating and air.
Most Gwinnett Tech graduates start with salaries in the $30,000s, with increases as skills improve, Stahl said. Advancement opportunities are good when technicians earn certifications, specialize and move into supervisory and management roles.
For information, call 678-226-6354, 678-226-6709 (CAP), 678-226-6742 (Toyota/T-TEN) or go to www.gwinnetttech.edu.
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