The Automotive Technology program follows the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE ) Maintenance and Light Repair (MLR) standards for auto technician training programs. The 2-year automotive course involves  700 hours of training. The program consists of 350 hours of content education in a classroom setting and 350 hours of hands-on shop time. Each day in the program is one hour of class time and one hour of shop time. The program is half theory and half shop tasks, with a focus on safety and the completion of repairs according to manufacturer techniques and methods. Students are required to complete over 500 Automotive and safety-specific tasks. Course subjects are safety, battery and charging, steering and suspension, brakes, engine performance, electrical theory, and transmissions. In the classroom, students are required to complete and pass an online curriculum that meets the A.S.E  standards as well as complete shop tasks to a proficient level. The online coursework is at the level of professional technicians and requires strong reading comprehension.

The program requires a well-rounded student with strong communication skills.  The student needs to be an independent learner who is responsible, and interested in becoming a professional automotive technician. Students will work on customers’ cars, interact with the public, follow repair procedures, read and write work orders and other correspondence, operate vehicles, and operate shop equipment in a safe and courteous manner. 

Students will need to add, subtract, multiply and divide all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Students need to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry and necessary. 

Automotive repair work requires students to have manual dexterity and fine motor skills. The ability to maintain physical endurance is important as there will be sustained periods of standing and moving equipment. Please be advised that students will be lifting equipment that weighs over 50 pounds.