There are millions of cars sold every year around the world, so we are constantly in need of people to fix them when they break down. An auto technician career is very rewarding and has great prospects. In this guide we shall look at what auto technician schools can offer.
Auto technician schools are technical colleges, community colleges or private training schools that teach everything needed to start a career as an auto technician.
All courses offered by auto technician schools must meet the standards required by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). This ensures that students who graduate from auto technician schools meet the standards required by the automotive industry.
Auto technician schools cover a wide range of topics to ensure their students are well equipped to start their careers. Typical subject areas studied at auto technician schools include: powertrain repair and diagnosis, emissions, suspension, engine repair, electrical systems, brake systems, manual and automatic transmissions, heating and air conditioning, suspension and steering and basic fuel and ignition systems.
The NATEF divides auto technician courses into four different categories of study: automotive, auto body, trucks (diesel technology) and alternative fuels.
Auto technician schools have a variety of different courses that vary in length. Postsecondary auto technician schools generally consist of taking one or more certificates that can take between one to two years of training. For those who want to study for an associate degree or diploma, you can expect to spend two to three years studying at an auto technician school.
There are also intensive courses offered by some auto technician schools that can take as little as 6 months to one year in duration.
Many high schools incorporate auto technician schools within their normal programs and offer students an option to study a four year automotive certification program alongside their general studies.
After you have become a qualified auto technician you can stay on at auto technician school to become a master auto technician by choosing to specialize in one or more of the following areas: engine repair, brake systems, electrical systems, heating and air-conditioning and suspension and steering.
Auto technician school is very hands-on and the study load is divided between both theoretical class work and practical time. Usually auto technician schools will teach their students the theory of different areas before giving them the opportunity to put theory into practice.
As well as the subject areas we covered above, most auto technician schools involve students having to learn about more general areas including English, mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer and business and supervisory skills.
Admissions Procedure into auto technician schools varies between institutions. Many auto technician schools are very lenient about their admissions policy, and you usually just need to provide general study capabilities such as minimum grades in English, mathematics and physics.
A large number of auto technician schools require that you have completed high school as well as taken either a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) exams. Other auto technician colleges have their own standardized placements tests that prospective students must sit before being admitted into their school.
The cost of attending auto technician school varies between institutions. Generally specialized auto technician schools are a lot more expensive than studying at a community college – but the quality of education is considered to be much higher.
An average annual cost of tuition at an auto technician school is approximately $14,000.
