Automotive Technician
Jump-Start Your Career
If you're mechanically inclined and like to work on cars, you can go from zero to 30 in less than 18. Zero to $30,000 a year in less than 18 months that is, on your automotive or diesel technician's first-year paycheck!
Nationwide, graduates of automotive courses at technical institutes start at an average of $11 per hour in their first job. Students who go on to specialized graduate training can walk into their first shop making $15 per hour.
Students might typically take course work that includes Auto, Diesel, Industrial Truck Technology, and specialty classes. You can even mix and match the coursework to customize your own training program. Depending on what you choose, you can graduate in just 11 months with a certificate in Auto Technology or you can go full bore with a longer course in Auto/Diesel/Industrial/Specialized Training.
Find a school that is accredited, and where financial aid is available for those who are eligible. Plenty of hands-on shop training should be offered with each class, and make sure certified instructors who carry Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications and years of real-world experience in the industry teach all classes.
Custom training with the best…
Some schools offer exclusive graduate training programs, such as the Audi
Academy Technician Pro gram, BMW Service Technician Education Program
(STEP), Jaguar Professional Automotive Career Education (PACE), Mercedes-Benz
ELITE Training Program, Porsche Technology Apprenticeship Program (PTAP),
Volkswagen Service Technician Training (VSTT), Volvo Service Automotive
Factory Education (SAFE), or the International Technical Education Program
(ITEP). Some schools also offer motorcycle and marine technology training.
As a graduate of one of these programs, you will be recognized as a specialty
technician by the premier dealerships in the industry.
The road less traveled…
You don't have to be an auto technician to have a good career, but you
do need to consider this: By the year 2005, eight out of 10 careers will
demand some kind of technical training. Make sure you know the programs
and certification available, what hands-on experience the school will
provide, and what types of jobs are typically offered to graduates before
you choose your school.
So, don't just sit there idling — start planning your future now with top-rated technical training!
Editorial provided by Tina Miller-Steinke, Director of Corporate Communications at Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
