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Auto Repair Could Be The Career For You - July 15, 2006
Vince is working at his dream job. The certified automotive technician in his mid-20s couldn't imagine doing anything else.
A year ago, he began working at a new-car dealership in the GTA, applying his skills in a busy service department. This job is everything he imagined it would be ? and more.
Vince feels fortunate to be working in a field he loves. He urges any mechanically inclined car buff seeking a career to give this industry a try.
His journey from backyard tinkerer to auto technician is an inspiring one. In high school, he took several tech courses that provided him with a solid grounding in diagnostics and engine repairs.
After high school, Vince enrolled in an apprenticeship program at Centennial College in Scarborough. (Such programs are also offered at Fanshawe College in London, Niagara College in Niagara Falls and other community colleges throughout the province.)
This five-year venture allowed Vince to earn and learn at the same time. The combination of hands-on work experience and classroom training provided the tools and confidence he needed to become a certified automotive technician.
Family and friends have always supported his career choice. Other young people who may be considering a career as an auto tech aren't always so lucky. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma about working in blue-collar professions or with your hands.
Young people are sometimes pressured by their families to pursue white-collar careers in law, medicine, computers or finance. Vince's advice to those undecided about a career: follow your heart. A majority of your adult life will be spent working, so it might as well be doing something you enjoy.
An automotive technician today is a highly specialized occupation. Oddly enough, Vince often feels like a physician, wearing a white lab coat, while accessing a computer to diagnose car problems.
The state-of-the-art service department at a typical new-car dealership is equipped with the latest high-tech gear such as diagnostic tools, PCs and hand-held wireless computers.
As automotive systems become increasingly high tech, servicing vehicles requires more sophisticated tools and an aptitude for computers to complement mechanical expertise.
This means upgrading scanners so they can communicate with the sophisticated sensors of the latest models of cars. Today's technicians are also IT specialists, who receive technical bulletins and data updates daily.
Despite the complex environment of modern service departments, technology is no match for the experience, expertise and intuition of a qualified automotive technician.
If scanners could diagnose a problem, technicians wouldn't be needed. There's a myth that techs plug in the equipment and a computer tells them what to do. Diagnostic tools may help identify a problem, but it's up to a technician to find out what that problem is and how it will be solved.
Diagnostic detective work includes visual inspections and referencing a Web-based diagnostic manual for troubleshooting. Charts designed by automotive engineers assist technicians in assessing possible scenarios, but not every case is textbook and covered by a published answer.
Technicians still have to rely on their understanding of how a car functions.
A shortage of qualified technicians is becoming a problem for the retail automotive sector, experts warn. This, despite the potential to earn between $40,000 and $100,000 or more a year in the GTA.
As with any profession, technicians are paid for what they know. There are great rewards in being a good producer and in being good at what you do.
To achieve certification as a licensed automotive technician, participants must complete an apprenticeship program under the direction of a sponsoring service department.
High school graduates can seek out a dealership willing to sponsor their apprenticeships, or they can further their training at colleges that offer classroom studies and co-op placements. Hours accumulated in co-op training can be applied to the practical training requirements of Ontario's apprenticeship program.
The disciplines of automotive service technician, and auto body and collision repair technician, embrace more than 30 subsets, including truck and bus, heavy machinery, motorcycle and heavy-duty diesel.
Check out these websites for further information:
- apprenticesearch.com
- skilledtrades.ca
- apprenticetrades.ca
- skillswork.com
- madewiththetrades.com
- carsyouth.ca
Students can also visit the Toronto Automobile Dealers Association site (tada.ca) for co-op and full-time job opportunities.
Dealerships need to attract a new generation of techs and explain to them that they can make a great living in this dynamic field.
Vince's story is typical of many young people who have chosen a career in the automotive sector because they love working with cars. I hope that his story is an inspiration to others.
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