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Auto repair gets a tuneup
Stafford students gear up for internships, job shadowing at local auto dealershipsDate published: 4/1/2004
By KELLY HANNON
Amanda Kapec will never have to wait for a tow truck. The Brooke Point High School junior knows how to fix a flat tire on her 1996 Toyota Avalon, and changes her own oil. She learned those skills and more in Brooke Point's auto technician program, where she's one of only a handful of female students. "It's interesting to learn how cars work and I think it's fun," she said. "My mom thinks it's good that I'm learning it, she really wants me to pursue it as a career." Kapec hasn't decided if she wants to be a service technician after graduation, but she said her auto class is never dull. "You're always learning because the technology keeps changing," Kapec said. "I don't think it would ever be boring. I think it's a job you can enjoy if you really like cars." Auto repair tends to be a recession-proof industry, since cars and trucks break down regardless of the economy. Yet local dealerships face a chronic business dilemma--a shortage of well-trained, educated service technicians who can fix new cars with sophisticated computer systems. "The image I grew up with, the rugged guy, the greasy guy fixing cars, that image has changed," said Ron Rose, service technician at Pohanka Honda in Fredericksburg. Today's auto service technicians must adapt to constant updates in technology. Employers are seeking high school and college graduates with hands-on shop training and an academic foundation in math, reading and computer skills. They're having a hard time finding people. "You'll run an ad in the paper for a week and you'll only get two or three calls, and the people won't have the skills you're looking for," Rose said. So Stafford County's high schools are hoping to provide the answer--positioning its graduates for well-paying career opportunities in auto repair and local dealerships. The Automotive Youth Educational Systems program officially partnered with Stafford schools Tuesday during a ceremony at Brooke Point High School. Launched in 1995, AYES is sponsored by a handful of automobile corporations. It matches high school students enrolled in auto technician courses with local dealerships that agree to offer job shadowing and internship opportunities.
Date published: 4/1/2004
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