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, steering and suspensioin, 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 one year, full-day program or a two 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 not currently available for this program.

Certifications

State Competency Tests and ASE Certifications are available with this program.

Career Opportunities

The following career opportunities are possible after completing the program:

• Automotive Mechanic
• Engine Repairer
• Brakes Specialist
• Service Technician
• Tune-Up Specialist

The national average salary for automotive technicians is $32,000 annually.

Helpful Attributes

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

• Good manual dexterity
• Desire to learn
• Strong math skills
• Strong work ethic

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 Fairview campus, contact Mr. Bobby Watson at 580.227.3708.

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

What's Happening in Auto Tech?

	Northwest Technology Center students Jason Wallace, Zach Zanhow and Kyle Stinnett and NWTC's Automotive Technology instructor Bobby Watson show off this semester's Dune Buggy project.  The vehicle was built as a joint project between NWTC's Welding Technology and Automotive Technology program.

Can you imagine the fun of zipping around driving a dune buggy and on top of that the accomplishment that you'd feel when you helped to build it? This is exactly the feeling the students in Northwest Technology Center's Welding Technology and Automotive Technology programs this spring when they constructed a dune buggy. The project took about two and a half months to complete.

“Our automotive class and our welding class worked together to build a dune buggy from scratch!” said Bobby Watson, Automotive Technology instructor. “My class built the engine, plumbed the brake lines, did the wiring and built the steering and suspension. This was a great project for us because those are some of the major areas that we cover in our automotive curriculum. It was fun for the students to go from a pile of parts to a finished vehicle. We hope to build one every year.”

According to Delbert Moore, Welding Technology instructor, “Putting the body together was an interesting experience, as the students had to learn to build something without a print or a drawing. This was challenging for them and we all had to do a lot of research, looking at pictures and so forth.”

“I enjoyed working on the engine and wiring the lights. The hands on part of the program and the instructors were great. Auto is a great class for people who are interested in making money working on cars.” stated Zach Zahnow, Fairview High School senior and a student enrolled in NWTC's Automotive Technology program. “Next year, I plan to go to OSU Okmulgee and work in the General Motors program.”

“We have had a lot of help from B&S in Waynoka,” stated Watson. “They sand blasted and powder coated the framework. We appreciated their help!”

Kyle Stinnett, Aline Cleo High School junior and a student in NWTC's Automotive Technology program, said that putting the engine together was a real learning experience. I had never done anything like this before and it was a lot of fun.

“I learned the applications of many different types of welds. This was interesting and putting the framework together for the body was lots of fun.” said Zach Blackwell, a junior at Ringwood High School and NWTC Welding student.

Automobile Donated to Fairview Program

A 1999 Oldsmobile Alero was donated by the GM ASEP program at Okmulgee to Northwest Technology Center's Automotive Technology program. The car was recieved earlier this month. Pictured in front of the car (left to right) is Daniel Adair, Zach Choate, Josh Stockton, TJ Scollard, Samie Biggs; behind the car (left to right) is Brady Newton, Josh Kluckner, Tony Kliewer, and Bobby Watson, Automotive Technology Instructor.