NWTC Automotive Technology Program Receives National Certification

The Automotive Service Technology program at Northwest Technology Center in Alva has received an updated certification by NATEF and The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Northwest Technology Center's automotive program has been certified in the following areas: Brakes, Electrical/Electronic Systems, Engine Performance, Engine Repair and Suspension and Steering. The program must go through the certification process every five years. Northwest Technology Center 's Automotive Service program has been ASE certified since 1991. Ron Rader has been the instructor for the past eight years.

To achieve this coveted recognition, the school's automotive training program underwent a rigorous evaluation by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). Nationally accepted standards of excellence in areas such as instruction, facilities and equipment were used.

“This is great news for automotive-minded young people and their parents,” said Donald Seyfer, NATEF Chair. “Because this program increases cooperation between local education and industry leaders, it gives added assurance that Northwest Technology Center's graduates will be employable entry-level technicians. As a result of the quality education provided by Automotive Service Technology program at Northwest Technology Center, the public will benefit since better repair technicians will join the work force.” Upon completion of the evaluation, NATEF recommended that Northwest Technology Center be certified by The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). ASE is a national non-profit organization which tests and certifies repair technicians, in addition to certifying automotive training programs.

Program Description

The Automotive Technology program covers operations related to the field of automobile repair and maintenance. Among the areas of instruction are electrical systems, engine repair, engine performance, brake systems, heating and air conditioning, steering and suspension, and service management. As students reach a certain level of proficiency, they will gain first-hand experience in restoring defective vehicles to proper operating condition. This program is certified by the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and students are trained and tested to ASE standards.

Length of Program

Automotive Technology is a 1 year, full-day program or a 2 year, half-day program for a total of 1050 hours.

Eligible Students

This program is open to secondary as well as post-secondary students.

College Credit

College credit is currently available for this program through OSU/Okmulgee.

Certifications

State Competency Tests are available with this program. Instruction is provided in preparation for ASE Certification.

Career Opportunities

The following career opportunities are possible after completing the program:

• General Automotive Technician
• Engine Repairer
• Brakes Technician
• Tune-Up Specialist
• Steering and Suspension Technician
• Electrical Systems Technician
• HVAC Technician

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Department of Labor, median hourly earnings of automotive service technicians and mechanics, including commission, were $15.60 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.31 and $20.75 per hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.70, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $26.22 per hour. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of service technicians in May 2004 were as follows:

• Local government - $38,160
• Automobile dealers - $38,060
• Automotive repair and maintenance - $28,810
• Gasoline stations - $28,030
• Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores - $27,180
  

Helpful Attributes

The following skills are not necessary but would allow the student to progress more quickly to achieve success:

• Desire to learn
• Strong math skills
• Strong reading and comprehension skills
• Good manual dexterity

Student Organizations

The students are encouraged to participate in the SkillsUSA-VICA organization which promotes leadership development and skill competition at the state and national levels.

Contact Information

For more information about the Automotive Technology program at the Alva campus, contact Mr. Ron Rader at 580.327.0344.

CLICK HERE to download a program brochure in pdf format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the brochure.

Visit the Instructor's Website!

Auto Technology Students Host SkillsUSA Contest

Mr. Ron Rader, Auto Technology Program instructor, and his Auto Technology class hosted the Region I SkillsUSA contest.

Les Corr and Jeff Rohrer are shown above with their instructor, Mr. Rader. They were the winners of the Local SkillsUSA Auto Technology Contest for the morning session.	Cody Green and Tyler Nighswonger are show above with their instructor, Mr. Rader. They were the winners of the Local SkillsUSA Auto Technology Contest for the afternoon session.
	Tyler Nighswonger is shown helping during the contest.

A photo gallery of the Auto Service Technology District Contest is available for your viewing.

State’s Top CareerTech Students Compete in Auto Skills Competition at OSU-Okmulgee

The automotive industry is always looking for the best students studying to be service technicians and the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition is one way to bring those students into the spotlight. Once again, Oklahoma State University - Okmulgee was host for this statewide contest. Many of the CareerTech students are already cooperatively enrolled at their local Technology Center and at OSU-Okmulgee, earning college credit before they graduate from high school.

This year’s contest brought together 20 juniors and seniors from 10 technology centers across Oklahoma. First place winner was Mid-America Technology Center in Wayne. Students Allen Johnson from Pauls Valley and Jesse Cobb from Wayne were the winning team. Their instructor is Randy Henderson from Pauls Valley.

AAA Oklahoma and Ford Motor Company sponsor the competition to encourage technically-minded young people to pursue careers in the automotive service industry. Participants vie for scholarships, prizes and letters of recommendation to future employers. The 10 teams of two students each worked in a timed event, trying to find and fix the “bugs” on identical 2007 Ford Motor Company sedans. The bugs or automotive problems were installed on the cars prior to the contest. As each team finds and fixes all the problems, they start the car and drive it across the finish line. Each car is then inspected for quality and accuracy of work.

“Our goal is to make sure our members can find good qualified automotive technicians when their cars need service,” said Chuck Mai, spokesman for AAA Oklahoma. “As the technology used in vehicles continues to evolve and increases in complexity, young people who want to excel as automotive technicians need the best training possible. Mai said the educational combination of Oklahoma’s Career Technology Centers and OSU-Okmulgee produces extremely competent technicians that serve the auto industry well.

Second place in the contest went to the Moore-Norman Technology Center in Norman. Third place went to Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center in Choctaw. The first place winners will represent the state in the National Hands-on Finals at Ford Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan on June 26.

Oklahoma State University - Okmulgee is known for its hands-on technical education, world-class equipment and active partnerships with industry. Degree programs are developed according to emerging educational and labor market needs. Seventeen programs of study lead to Associate in Applied Science degrees, three programs of study lead to Associate in Science transfer degrees, and three programs lead to Bachelor of Technology degrees - Information Assurance and Forensics, Instrumentation Engineering Technology and Civil Engineering Technology. Through frequent advisory board meetings, corporate partners make significant contributions to curriculum, faculty improvement, equipment acquisition, internship experiences for students and employment opportunities for graduates. OSU-Okmulgee also promotes economic development among small Oklahoma firms by providing training and assistance with technology deployment, financing, bidding and purchasing procedures.

Northwest Technology Center Alva Campus Auto Technology students placed 5th at the state Auto Skills Competition. Pictured above (Left to Right): T. J. Province from Freedom; Shawn Lehr from Alva; Mr. Ron Rader, Auto Technology Instructor from Alva; Mr. Preston Covey, Field Service Engineer with Ford Motor Company.