Some of the Top reasons for taking Automotive Technology classes at Lake Braddock

1. Learn how to deal with vehicle emergencies safely.
2. Are you good with your hands? Learn how to use reasoning skills with hands-on work.
3. Save money by doing the repairs yourself!
4. Gain the skills and knowledge to make upgrades to your vehicle properly.
5. Have the understanding to identify problems before serious damage happens to your vehicle.
6. Learn how to properly maintain your vehicle and keep it working at its peak efficiency.
7. Know what to look for when buying a new or used vehicle.
8. Learn to work together to solve problems with vehicles.
9. Learn what to look for when you take your vehicle in for service. What do you really need?
10. Prepare yourself for an Automotive or an Engineering career and it’s free.
11. Earn a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Seal on your diploma (Requires completion of 2 years)
12. Earn an industry recognized NATEF or ASE certification (Requires completion of 2 years)
13. Come and learn about other career opportunities that are available.
14. Practice real world applications of the skills learned in your core classes.
15. Have fun while learning a variety of skills.
16. No class periods lost to transportation because the course is taught at Lake Braddock Secondary.
17. Virtually no homework due to the nature of the class.
18. Earn a CTE industry certification that is now required to graduate with a standard diploma.
19. Learn valuable workplace readiness skills.
20. Excellent employment potential through various scholarship and apprentice programs.

Lake Braddock’s Automotive Technology Program is a NATEF and ASE certified program taught by ASE certified instructors. All students are welcome and absolutely no prior automotive knowledge is necessary. Students will learn how the various systems of vehicles work and how components work together to provide ideal conditions for driving. Students are also exposed to the latest technological advances in diagnosing and repairing onboard computer systems and major components. All tasks assigned will reinforce and improve their reasoning and problem-solving skills. There is a $35 shop fee associated with this course.

Courses Offered

Automotive Technology 1

Open to grades 9-12

A one block one credit course designed to introduce you to the basics of the entire automobile. You will learn the basics of brakes, cooling, lubrication, steering, suspension, fuel, ignition, engine, and maintenance you can do yourself. This is an ideal class for anyone who plans to operate a motor vehicle. No driving experience or prior automotive knowledge is required.

Automotive Technology 2

Open to grades 10-12, prerequisite: Automotive Technology 1

A two-block two-credit course, that gets deeper into automotive theory and repair. Automotive Technology 2 will spend a majority of the time learning to diagnose and repair a variety of problems with the vehicles. Upon completing Auto 2 the students will take an industry certification exam.

Automotive Technology 3

Open to grades 11-12, prerequisite: Auto Tech 2

A two block two credit course that continues the studies from Automotive Technology 2. You will study advanced diagnostics, and electronics of the car along with heavy repair tasks. Automotive Technology 3 is also a more career-oriented class with lot of hands on work.

Automotive News Journal

Is there really a need for techs?

Do mechanics make a good living?

Read this article from autonews.com about the mechanics shortage at car dealerships. 

In a 2016 survey Carlisle conducted with Automotive News, dealers said that if they had as many techs as they wanted, they would be able to increase fixed ops revenue by 17 percent. But for many dealerships, the trend is moving in the opposite direction.

The annual turnover rate for the most-skilled dealership technicians rose to 27.2 percent in 2016 from 25.1 percent a year earlier, NADA's 2017 Dealership Workforce Study concluded. Almost seven in 10 newly hired techs in 2016 were millennials, born between the early 1980s and early 2000s.

Median pay for dealership techs in 2016 ranged from $29,024 for a lube tech to $69,703 for a master technician, NADA says. The median pay — half earned less, half more — for service advisers was $62,333. In comparison, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says median pay last year for an aircraft technician was $61,260.

The average tech works 44 hours a week, the NADA study says. Some dealerships assign techs to a 40-hour work week made up of four 10-hour shifts. The four-day week provides consistent time off, but presents other challenges, Kraybill says.

"If you cut down on number of hours and are open more hours, you need more techs to cover it," he notes.

Entry level technicians have the potential to earn $35,000 and up once they go on their own. Engineering students often excel because of the mechanical knowledge and skills they develop in the Automotive program. We also bring in multiple guest speakers to showcase the variety of job opportunities and careers that are available to you.

Are you interested???

Please talk with your guidance counselor or one of the instructors directly. See how an Automotive Technology program could fit in with your career and educational goals. Your guidance counselor can arrange for you to visit the Technology Education Department during your school day.

The Automotive Technology program is located in rooms A103 and A111 near Subschool 3. Please feel free to stop by and take a look around. The instructors are: