Pub. 6 2017-2018 Issue 4

14 San Diego Dealer National Automotive Tech Competition N ews headlines pronouncing a lack of qualified automotive technicians appear on a regular basis in industry news outlets. The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that an additional 46,000 automotive tech- nicians will be needed to satisfy demand by 2026 from2016 employment levels. Add to that the number of existing technicians who will retire or leave the industry between now and then and it becomes apparent that there is a need for proper training to prepare the next generation of automotive technicians. With that in mind, the National Automotive Technology Competition was created to help inspire a new generation of students to pursue an auto tech career and to satisfy the increasing demand for quality technicians. Held annually in the Big Apple as part of the New York International Auto Show, two-person teams of high school auto tech students representing state and metro dealer associations from across the nation compete against one another to decide which of them are The Nation’s Best Automotive Technicians. For many years the New Car Dealers Association San Diego County has supported a local team for this competition, and this year results from a regional competition determined which San Diego area high school would earn the opportunity to compete in New York. For 2018 that honor went to Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, represented by students David Franco and Efrain Parma, and supported by automotive instructor Michael Fleming. Preparation for the competition was rigorous, and included hours of helpful training at Kearny Mesa Subaru with generous support from service director Glenn Gerringer and general manager Dave McCracken, as well as master technicians within the service department. In addition, the team trained during lunch at school for weeks leading up to the competition and met for several days outside of school. At the competition itself, each two-student team had to diagnose and repair a number of pre-assigned problems under a car’s hood within an allotted amount of time. Students were also tested through a series of written and hands-on tests prepared by the ASE, and they participated in a mock job interview as well. Competitors Efrain Parma and David Franco found the competition challenging and the experience invaluable, and both express their gratitude to the NCDA for making it possible for them to attend. Parma has plans to pursue further education in auto tech and welding at Universal Technical Institute. Franco really enjoyed his time with the master technicians at Kearny Mesa Subaru and he plans to plan to attend the automotive program at Cuyamaca College.