San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE) has been selected as one of the Top 25 finalists for “Tomorrow’s Technician 2012 School of the Year”, sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts and WIX Filters. A total of 340 entrants from high schools, technical schools, and colleges across the nation entered the contest. Making the short list of finalists for exceptional programs confirms SDCE as a member of an elite group of automotive educators.
“SDCE is a worthy candidate in the competition and has a very strong chance of winning the top spot,” said Howard Bass, Automotive instructor at SDCE. “Students train in a professional state-of-the-art 67,000+ sq. ft. facility, our instructors are ASE certified—a top standard in the auto industry—and we expect our program to be accredited by NATEF (National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation) this year.”
State-of-the-art Facility
The Automotive program area is part of Continuing Education’s Campus of Excellence for Career and Technical Education. Hands-on labs and lecture space include automotive repair bays, drive-in spray paint booths, a tool room, labs, ADA accessible work stations, classrooms, demonstration theatres, work benches with built-in computer stations, and other learning spaces that support a positive learning environment for automotive technician students in training.
The facility is certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold and has been recognized for its efficient design by SDG&E’s Sustainable Communities Program.
ASE Certified Instructors
ASE is a national institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). ASE certifies automotive technicians, plus offers certification for technician training programs. ASE program certification is based on recommendations from NATEF. This non-profit organization examines the structure and resources of training programs and evaluates them against nationally-accepted standards of quality. The goal of program certification is to help improve the quality of training offered in public and post-secondary vocational schools.
All six automotive instructors in the SDCE program are ASE certified, and two are certified Master Technicians.
NATEF Accreditation
“Accreditation standards are important to maintain because they keep our institution at a high level of excellence in how we organize and present our curriculum,” said Jane Signaigo-Cox, Dean of Career and Technical Education at San Diego Continuing Education. “When students attend a class, or when businesses and local community groups look to us for partnerships, they know they are working with first-rate educators and staff.”
NATEF accreditation begins with a self evaluation that must be confirmed by a NATEF evaluation/assessment team and an educator certified by ASE and trained by NATEF. NATEF sets standards for the content of instruction, which includes tasks, tools and equipment, hours, and instructor qualifications. Program standards are developed based on ASE task lists and are designed to bring training programs to a level at which participants are properly trained for entry level into the automotive industry.
If a training program meets the established standards and goes through the accreditation process, it can be accredited as a program that actually teaches technicians to today's industry standards. A program can keep accreditation for a period of five years before it must apply again. SDCE’s automotive program anticipates receiving accreditation later this year.
Career Development Services
One of the most valuable benefits of completing a certificate program is that when students finish, they are more prepared to enter the workforce because they are already trained for a specific job. As an important step, career planning, assessment and job search advice is available to all SDCE students who complete a job training program. “The goal of Career Development Services is to give students quality, up-to-date "hire" education so they can be savvy job seekers and get the job they want,” said Doug Elliot, a career counselor at San Diego Continuing Education.
Student Success
The program awarded 115 course certificates within the last academic year and 60 full-program certificates. The full program is 920 hours and takes approximately one year to complete. The individual course certificates average approximately 300 hours and can be a more manageable option for students who need a shorter time commitment. Regardless, completers learn hands-on skills directly related to work in the automotive industry.
Top Award
Regional winners will be announced in October and the national grand prize winner in November. If selected as the top school, in addition to the recognition, SDCE will benefit from donations of tools, equipment, and uniform gear, which will help offset program costs. This is especially significant and timely due to the state budget crisis and reduced class availability.
San Diego Continuing Education is the adult education division of the San Diego Community College District. It was one of the first community college continuing education institutions in California to meet the standards for independent accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Approximately 75,000 students are served per academic year at six main campuses in San Diego. Noncredit classes are available at no cost, including online options.
Classes are free because San Diego Continuing Education is part of the California system of higher education. Funding also comes through business and industry partnerships.