ALLDATA: Does the curriculum learned in the classroom (and labs) really translate to improved technician productivity? 

Brian: While productivity is clearly important to employers, and is an element of automotive education, it should not be the primary focus on the educational side of things. While best practices can and should be taught, speed and efficiency are developed primarily through experience by continually applying the skills learned. Trying to stumble through a diagnosis or repair without the appropriate education and skillset, or having a vehicle come back due to a misdiagnosis or incorrect repair are major productivity killers and negatively impact customer satisfaction. If education can provide a solid foundation for students/technicians to understand how a system is designed to operate and provide applied practice in maintaining, diagnosing, and repairing the system, productivity should naturally increase.

ALLDATA: How has automotive course curriculum and instruction methodology changed over the last 5-10 years? 

Brian: Although technology has been a staple in the automotive industry, the pace at which it’s advanced has increased tremendously in the last 10 years. Systems created out of necessity for use in hybrid and electric vehicles have trickled down to be used in many typical internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. Reliance upon electronically controlled systems and communication/networking has spread across all systems of today’s vehicles to allow for increased safety and convenience.

With many of today’s automotive students being ‘digital natives,’ the idea of technology and electronics tends to come naturally to them. Diagnosing complex, interconnected electronic systems still requires an in-depth understanding of the components involved and strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. In addition, it is difficult to understand how today’s electronically controlled systems work without first understanding how previous, more simple iterations of these systems operated. For this reason, we sometimes find ourselves teaching technology that is now antiquated so that students can then understand the more complicated current versions of these systems.

ALLDATA: How important is it for shops to invest in their technician’s continuing education courses and/or degree programs? Why?

Brian: Investing in continuing education is an absolute necessity. Because technology continues to advance and evolve, it is imperative that our technicians do the same so they can continue to meet the needs of the industry. Technicians who do not have access to or do not take advantage of ongoing training will slowly work themselves out of a job because they will find themselves ill-equipped to diagnose and repair systems on late-model vehicles. While technicians may sometimes complain about having to complete training, they know that it is critical to their continued success. As such, if an employer does not invest in and value continuing education, the technician is likely to find another employer who does.

ALLDATA: Some shop owners say they’re afraid to invest in their technician’s education because they may quit and take what they’ve learned to another shop. What is your advice to those shop owners?

Brian: In general, today’s workers want to feel valued, fairly compensated, and have a clear path for upward mobility. If the employer can meet these needs, technicians are unlikely to leave for another shop. Compensation is a key factor in this, but not the only one. If a shop has a technician retention problem, they are likely to be facing increased compensation costs just to recruit new employees. There are costs associated either way. Either a shop can invest in the employees it already has to build their skillsets and their value to the organization, or they can spend that money chasing new employees who supposedly come with the skillset needed. It is better to invest in the known rather than gamble on the unknown.

ALLDATA: If technicians can’t attend college auto classes, what other resources would you suggest for shops looking for low-cost, relevant courses for their technicians?

Brian: My first suggestion would be to truly assess the situation. What is the education that’s needed, where can it be acquired, what are the pros and cons of the available options, and what barriers exist? Community colleges, in general, have a tremendous network of support programs and services available to their students, so it’s worth finding solutions to perceived barriers. Aside from community college, there are numerous free resources available online that should be considered, such as ASE webinars. There are also training courses/seminars available through outside sources such as Automotive Training Group (ATG), parts suppliers, and others. eLearning courses from OEMs may also be an option. While I’m a firm believer that continuing education is always a good thing, it is also important to make sure the training being sought is aligned with the needs of the technician and the business. Particularly when there are difficulties surrounding training, we want to ensure that the training that occurs is as effective and productive as possible.

ALLDATA: In your experience, how often do shops help fledgling technicians financially while they are in school?

Brian: It rarely happens. We are in a unique situation compared to many areas of the country in that many of our students can gain their education through our programs at a very minimal cost. As such, there is sometimes a notion that financial assistance is not necessary or warranted since the direct cost of education is low. But there are still living expenses, fuel costs, and tool acquisition to consider. To cover those expenses, young automotive students find themselves opting to work in fast-food restaurants or retail chains because those jobs often provide strong entry-level compensation and benefits packages.

ALLDATA: Does your program at Cosumnes River College have a specific class or classes for EV and hybrid vehicles?

Brian: We currently have one course with a stronger focus on hybrid and electric vehicles, but we are in varying stages of curriculum revision in relation to hybrid and electric vehicles. For our Ford ASSET program, we are launching a new High Voltage Vehicle Systems course which will be where most of our core hybrid and EV content will be taught. For our traditional/general automotive program, we recently applied for and were awarded a grant via the Foundation for California Community Colleges and CARB (California Air Resources Board). This grant is designed to enhance our Zero-Emission-Vehicle-related instruction across our curriculum. Because we still foresee a lot of industry needs related to traditional (internal combustion engine) ICE vehicles, and because many technologies from hybrids and EVs have trickled down to traditional ICE vehicles, we are looking at how best to further integrate EV-related instruction across our existing courses.

ALLDATA: Do you think EV and Hybrid classes will become a larger portion of the overall curriculum in the future?

Brian: We are looking at enhancing our instruction related to hybrids and EVs across our curriculum, which will naturally make them a larger portion of the curriculum than they are currently. As hybrids and EVs continue to gain market share, and as traditional ICE vehicles begin to either be phased out or their sales diminish extensively, it makes sense that our curriculum and programs will need to continue to adapt to our changing industry.

Changing and advancing technology tends to be an inherent aspect of the automotive industry, so while this is likely to be one of the larger shifts we’ve seen in recent years, it’s just part of our process. While enhancing instruction related to hybrids and EVs to embed their technologies across our curriculum is our first step, we do expect a need for more dedicated coursework as well in the future to capture content that does not align with our existing courses.

ALLDATA: There has been a steady increase in Hispanic students and technicians over the last 10 years. Are there notable accommodations being made to meet the needs of Hispanic students?

Brian: I cannot really speak about this topic on a broad national level, but I can certainly address it on a more local level. Our college has been federally recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), meaning that at least 25% of our students are Hispanic. This population is (and has been) more highly represented within our automotive courses and programs. With the HSI designation comes some federal funding, which on our campus has resulted in the MI CASA (Multicultural Innovative Community for Academic Success and Achievement) program. MI CASA provides extra support for new and continuing Latino/a/x students to reach their academic goals. This program not only promotes community and belonging but also provides dedicated counseling and student success coaches.

In addition to MI CASA, our campus has the Puente Project. This program was founded with a focus on Latino/a/x students but is open to all students intending to transfer. The program has six core strategies related to student success: Teaching, Counseling, Mentoring, Enrichment Opportunities, and Ongoing Support. There is also a Puente Club to help further support students outside of the classroom.

These programs and services can provide students with a stronger sense of community and belonging within our college, as well as other holistic resources to promote their persistence and success.

Our English as a Second Language (ESL) department on our campus is also amazing and has done very pioneering and transformative work, particularly over the last decade. Our ESL courses and program have been meeting and/or exceeding mandates set forth by legislation through AB-705 and AB-1705 before either were conceived. I constantly preach to my students that no matter what they might need assistance with while navigating the college experience, whether it’s basic needs, housing, educational planning, community, tutoring, mental health, etc. we have staff, programs, and services in place to support them. Our college is organized into Career and Academic Communities where we have liaison counselors and student success coaches in place to help support our students and connect them with the resources they may need.

I feel extremely fortunate to work on a campus where equity and inclusion are core values and where we continue to collaborate and innovate to close equity gaps and improve student success rates without compromising rigor.