The National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence conducts the only industrywide, national certification program for automotive technicians. As other industries explore standards, this program serves as a model. (JOW)

Examines how the automobile industry, through the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and the National Automotive Technical Education Foundation, has accepted a set of standards developed by the Industry Planning Council of the American Vocational Association Trade and Industrial Division and made them a basis for certification of…

Rapid advances in automotive technology and the growth of the automotive service industry have created opportunities in car repair, parts supply, and body work. Certification is the best way for vocational educators to ensure that their programs prepare students for work in the automotive industry. (JOW)

Profiles four schools that are attempting to keep up with the demand for skilled technicians in computer-driven automotive technology: a high school in Tucson, Arizona; a vocational center in Moore, South Carolina; a secondary-postsecondary vocational-technical center in Denville, New Jersey; and a community college program in Littleton, Colorado.…

Describes the process by which the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation certifies auto mechanics education programs with the Automotive Service Excellence seal. (SK)

Describes work conditions, education and training needs, and salaries of the following technician careers: auto/diesel technicians, auto body repairers, general maintenance mechanics, heating/air conditioning/refrigeration, paralegals, engineering technicians, science technicians, computer repairers, and drafters. (SK)

Describes a partnership between the Licking County Joint Vocational School in Newark, Ohio, and General Motors Corporation. The school houses a remote training center for General Motors automotive technicians that also trains the school's instructors. (CH)

The Porsche model of outcome-based education in its auto technician training program was adapted by vocational instructors in Nevada. Its effectiveness derives from pretesting, teaching with demonstrations, student practice with peer coaching, performance measurement, and reteaching and retesting. (SK)

The National Recreational Vehicle Technical Institute offers a 35-credit-hour service technician training program at 12 national sites. Recreational vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, and dealers donate equipment and advise schools on course development. (SK)

Major auto manufacturers have developed cooperative apprenticeship programs with community colleges, offering alternating periods of study and work experience under the supervision of master technicians. (SK)

The author taught the first auto body repair course in the country that employed laser-accurate equipment. He states that having this equipment raised the placement rate of his graduates, made the learning environment more positive, and improved students' understanding of math and science. (CH)