EDUCATION Collin College earns top marks for automotive technology program
2022 HIGHER EDUCATION FOCUS
BY MIRANDA JAIMES
are getting a good value for their education, Alba said. Even with the already full classes, the accreditation interested more students in the program, he said. During the spring semester, the Automotive Technology Program at Collin College had about 150 students enrolled, said Sean Boyll, professor of automotive technology at the college. Starting the new fall semester, the program now has close to 200 students, which include general population college students as well as about 25
Going into its third year, Collin College’s Automotive Technology program has received the highest level of accreditation recognized by the National Institute for Automo- tive Service Excellence. In the post-pandemic world, the automotive industry is struggling to nd employees, o cials said. Universal Technical Institute representatives predict a wave of older mechanics retiring will create The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a 4% decline in employment in the eld through 2029. But with its program and its accreditation, Collin College is train- ing a new generation of technicians to serve Collin County. “Our classes are in high demand,” said Elias Alba, Collin College’s interim director of automotive and collision technology. “Our classes lled up so quickly I had to open up a new section for Friday and Saturday. I had never done that before, and it lled up within a week and a half.” 100,000 auto technician job openings over the next decade. Not only does achieving this level of accreditation signal to employ- ers that Collin College teaches to the highest standards, but it also communicates to students that they
Students work on cars in the automotive bay of the Collin College Technical Campus in Allen. (Courtesy Collin College)
PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK
The Texas Workforce Commission projects more openings for automotive service technicians and mechanics in the North Central Texas region. Annual earnings statistics are also provided.
“THE SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR SOMEBODY COMING INTO THIS INDUSTRY.” ELIAS ALBA, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF AUTOMOTIVE AND COLLISION TECHNOLOGY AT COLLIN COLLEGE
Automotive service technicians and mechanics:
Wages for automotive service technicians and mechanics: Average wage: $50,224 Entry wage: $28,626 Experienced wage:*
2020 employment number:
dual-credit high school students, Boyll said. “I am surprised
5,020
+23.29%
2030 employment number:
6,189
by how many students want to come into the program,” Alba said. “I’m actually more excited that parents want their students to come into this program.” Jobs in automotive technology cannot be outsourced, Alba said, so students going into the program know they will have jobs available right at home. In addition, a career in the ield can be high-paying, with those who have been in the ield long enough making six igures, he said. The career paths in automotive tech vary a lot more than people would expect, too, Boyll said. “You can go any direction you want; you don’t have to turn a wrench,” Boyll said, adding that
$61,022 SOURCE: TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER *EXPERIENCED WAGE IS DEFINED AS THE AVERAGE WAGE EARNED BY THE UPPER TWO THIRDS OF ALL WORKERS IN THE SELECTED LOCATION AND OCCUPATION.
people can go into customer service with their certi cations, automo- tive engineering, to working with automotive manufacturers and the various positions that can o er. “The sky’s the limit for somebody coming into this industry,” Alba said. The automotive technology program offers three certi ication options for students, ranging from a certi ication in express main- tenance to a Level 2 certi ication with automotive service. Students
pursuing the more advanced certi ication typically earn it in ive semesters, including at least one mandatory internship in an automotive-related job. The new accreditation lasts ve years, Boyll said, so the program’s team has to be vigilant in maintain- ing it. “We can’t just rest and say, ‘Well we got the evaluation; we’re good,’” Boyll said. “We have to keep up our standards.”
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FRISCO EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022
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