Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-In-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle (10 page)
Authors: Joe Lamacchia,Bridget Samburg
Tags: #Business
Most employers viewvocational training programs in automotive service technology as the best preparation for trainee positions.High school programs are a greatway to start training or to test thewaters to see if this is something you have a knack for and enjoy. But these days, high school programs alone are not enough, and most employers require additional training. The highly regarded Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) is a partnership between high school automotive repair programs and the automotivemanufacturers’dealers. Studentswho complete these programs are prepared to take on entry-level technician positions or to go on to advanced technical education courses. Generally, courses in automotive repair, electronics, physics, chemistry, English, computers, andmathematics provide a good educational background for a career as an auto technician.
Postsecondary training programs in this industry usually provide intensive career preparation through a combination of classroominstruc-tion and hands-on practice. Some trade and technical school programs provide concentrated training for sixmonths to a year. Community college programs usually award a certificate or an associate’s degree.Various automobile manufacturers and participating franchised dealers also sponsor two-year associate’s degree programs across the country. Students in these programs typically spend two to three months at a time attending classes and then work in the service departments of participating dealers.
Blue Collar in ACTION
A New Generation of Auto Technicians
“Most kids don’t grow up working on their own cars, ” says Vince Williams, who is a training and development specialist with General Motors. Auto mechanic wannabes must have more skills than ever before, and the ones whom Williams is looking for may seem surprising at first. He says he wants apprentices who have good reasoning and problem-solving skills. “I’m looking for a high-level thinker, ” he adds.
Williams works with GM’s Automotive Service Educational Program(ASEP), which is a partnership between dealers, schools, and students. ASEP participants alternate between classes and hands-on technician work. Upon completion of the program, graduates are placed with dealerships. Williams says students can learn the technical andmechanical aspects of the job all through ASEP. But he’s especially interested in recruiting students who have an innate sense of how to problem solve. “The more successful people, they get a hold of a problem and follow it through to solve that problem, ” saysWilliams. “You have to have that conquer attitude.”
The ASEP program has a partnership with sixty-four schools around the country and graduates approximately 800 students each year. The cost to enroll is about $5, 000 when all is said and done, butWilliams points out that this is a small and beneficial investment considering earning potential following graduation. Because successful participants are placed with dealerships, jobs are close to guaranteed. AndWilliams says he knows of graduates who are making more than $70, 000 after just a few years on the job. “You can make a really good living, ” he says.
As car technology has progressed, so have the training tools. GM now offers some of its coursework and training through iPods, the Internet, and other media. Williams says another benefit to the ASEP training is that it provides graduates with a portable skill. “No matter where you go in the country, there is a need for auto mechanics.”
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has become a standard credential for automotive service technicians, and a certificate is important for those wishing to pursue a career in this field. While notmandatory forwork in automotive service, certification is common for all non-entry-level technicians inmost areas of the country.You can check with a local service center to find out more about what is expected in your area. Certification is granted in eight different areas of automotive service including electrical systems, engine repair, brake systems, suspension and steering, and heating and air conditioning. To become aMasterAutomobile Technician, youmust be certified in all eight areas. This master certificate is worth considering for future growth. As with most occupations, the more you know and the more you’ve mastered, themore valuable and employable you become.
Employers increasingly send experienced automotive service technicians tomanufacturer training centers to learn to repair newer carmod-els or to receive special training in the repair of specific components, such as electronics, fuel injection, or air conditioners.
The Numbers
Automotive technicians and mechanics held about 773, 000 jobs in 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are expected to increase by 14 percent between 2006 and 2016, which means an additional 110, 000 positions. The median hourly wage for technicians was $16.24, with the highest-paid people earning approximately $27.22 per hour. Technicians working at dealerships may also receive a commission based on their work volume, and those who are union members tend to have better compensation packages than their nonunion counterparts.
CARPENTRY
Many of you have probably tinkeredwith carpentry at home.
ThisOld House
and the presence of Home Depots all around the country have made carpentry and remodeling accessible to everyone, and whilemany of us are capable of building a small deck or making repairs around the house, a professional carpenter is a master with measurements, wood types, design, and construction.
Being a carpenter involves everything fromframing a house to handcrafting furniture and building bridges.Building something gives you an amazing feeling, and carpenters have job satisfaction in small and large proportions depending on their project. While peoplemight specialize in industrial or residential carpentry, the neatest thing is that the job is always different. It does require a high level of patience, math skills, the ability to do precise calculations, and a willingness to work in a variety of settings on a variety of projects.
The Work
Each carpentry task is somewhat different, but most involve basic steps, such as working from blueprints while laying out, marking, and arrangingmaterial.Carpenters cut and shapewood, fiberglass, or drywall using hand and power tools. Some carpenters are skilled atmultiple tasks while others have a specialty. For those remodeling homes, a broad range of carpentry skills is most useful. Carpenters who work on larger commercial projects are more likely to have a specialty, such as tunnel bracing, sewer projects, or finish work.
All carpentersmustwork in accordancewith local building codes, and to be successful you should have manual dexterity, excellent hand-eye coordination, a good sense of balance, and the desire to be in a physically demanding job. The ability to solve arithmetic problems quickly and accurately is also necessary. The bottom line is that you’ve got to love to build and love what it takes to build.
Work Setting
As is true of other building trades, carpentry can be strenuous. Prolonged standing, climbing, bending, and kneeling are just part of the gig. Carpenters do risk injury working with sharp or roughmaterials, as well as tools and power equipment, but safety precautions can prevent most injuries.Outdoor carpentrymeans being in freezing temperatures some months and sweltering heat at other times of the year.
Training and Certification
Carpenters learn their trade through formal and informal training programs. Typically, three to four years of on-the-job training and class-roominstruction are needed to become a skilled carpenter. A number of ways to train are available, including job shadowing, but a more formal training program often improves job prospects.
You can really start your carpentry training in high school.Classes in English, algebra, geometry, physics, mechanical drawing, blueprint reading, and general shop prepare students for the trade. After high school, some people get a job as a carpenter’s helper, assisting someone who is more experienced. While working as a helper you can simultaneously attend a trade school or community college to receivemore formal training. Some employers offer employees formal apprenticeships, which combine on-the-job training with related classroom instruction.
On the job, apprentices learn elementary structural design and become familiar with common carpentry jobs, framing, and finish work. They also learn to use the tools, machines, equipment, and materials of the trade. In the classroom, apprentices learn safety, blueprint reading, freehand sketching, and various carpentry techniques. Both in the class-roomand on the job, they learn the relationship between carpentry and the other building trades. Carpenters work closely with other building tradespeople, and while it’s not necessary to have their skills, understanding how aspects such as carpentry, electrical work, and plumbing come together to complete a project is helpful.
The Numbers