Is it you? Is it me?

[Rick]

About half way through my auto repair program. I’ve come to the startling revelation every thing I’m learning in school,I can learn working in the field, and teaching myself.

We have classes that go 8 weeks instead of the full semster. this is so the school can create classes like suspen theory and operations, then suspension diag and repair. In the diag and repair you literally spend 4 of the 8 weeks learning to plug a tire, balance a tire, and program tpms sensors. 4 weeks learning that, when class is 5 hours a day one day a week.

I learned all that in one day at a dealership. I’ve seriously learned next to nothing in my classes. It honestly seems like my school perfected scammihg students.

Also they have a Ford ASSET program, and if you arent in that the instructors treat you like second hand trash.

I learn more from one of Eric’s 20 minute videos than 8’weeks in a class at this school.

Topic

[Rick]

I’ve challenged them on many different things. The instructors have gotten so irritated they tried to blackball me from the program. I have a 3.8 gpa and I was referred for academic probation, my grades last term were manipulated saying I missed labs, until I took my lab papers to the department chair showing the instructor signature showing I completed them. I’ve transferred classes and the transfer advisor refused to give me credit for them, so I took that up with the department chair. The advisor had to write an apology letter. 2 weeks ago we took a test and I was given one test, while the other students were given a different test. Little hint the test I was given wasn’t over anything we covered. The academic chair got involving that one. I was handed an apology letter and the instructor has a reprimand on file. You name it they’ve tried it.

They told me it would be in my best interest to look at a different program somewhere else. I told them my lawyer will be in touch because they are discriminating against a disabled veteran. They quickly changed their tune. Another student was telling me three students before me were told they aren’t welcome in the program when they challenged some of the BS.

I know for a fact a few dealerships have cancelled their co-op program with the school. They are tired of being sent high school kids that quit after three weeks because it’s not the same as wrenching with their buddies.

[kevin]

i remember those a2 chassis, what year is that…looks like early 90. had 86,85,87 mk2 jettas and gti. they are so much to drive on highway…for so little power on paper can push really through it.

yes, i agree…there are enough kids think that since everything is scan tool usage must be like on face book..they come realize that it’s not…
can’t even fix sandwich or clean messes in shops…nope…have to on FB update way more important than “employed”….since their daddy is part manager at another shop own by same owner….he got saved once but, second time, he was gone…after growling pain watching that kid for 4-5months…

[Jesse]

[quote=”Pitt” post=140431]I’ve challenged them on many different things. The instructors have gotten so irritated they tried to blackball me from the program. I have a 3.8 gpa and I was referred for academic probation, my grades last term were manipulated saying I missed labs, until I took my lab papers to the department chair showing the instructor signature showing I completed them. I’ve transferred classes and the transfer advisor refused to give me credit for them, so I took that up with the department chair. The advisor had to write an apology letter. 2 weeks ago we took a test and I was given one test, while the other students were given a different test. Little hint the test I was given wasn’t over anything we covered. The academic chair got involving that one. I was handed an apology letter and the instructor has a reprimand on file. You name it they’ve tried it.

They told me it would be in my best interest to look at a different program somewhere else. I told them my lawyer will be in touch because they are discriminating against a disabled veteran. They quickly changed their tune. Another student was telling me three students before me were told they aren’t welcome in the program when they challenged some of the BS.

I know for a fact a few dealerships have cancelled their co-op program with the school. They are tired of being sent high school kids that quit after three weeks because it’s not the same as wrenching with their buddies.[/quote]
Which program are you doing? Since you mentioned dealership co-op I’m guessing that you are doing something like the T-TEN program, since you work a Toyota dealership. If I were you I would just call it quits, this program is not doing anything for you, just a waste of money. I’m sad that you had such a bad experience, I only went to T-Ten for one quarter but my teachers were pretty awesome. They really focused on electrical diagnostics, and I think a few dealerships even hire my former teacher to do tough diagnostics time and again.

I think maybe you would be well served by going Fopeano’s route. I knew of a few very successful technicians that did just that at my dealership. In fact the guy I would call the best technician in the shop was completely self taught, he worked his way up from the lube rack, and is now a master tech.

[zero]

I saw THIS VIDEO and thought of this thread.

[Jason White]

I went to the technical college and enrolled in the Automotive Technology program and discovered this fact while I was in there.

Yes, you do learn things in classes but you would have learned just as much if not more in the field and dealerships offfer training. Also, instead of paying, you will be getting paid. Win/Win. Yes it will help you get a job at a good dealer, but you can get one without a diploma/degree.

Your employer is going to pay you based on how well you can repair a vehicle.

[Kris]

I’m in Australia in my 4th year ( last ) of my apprenticeship and i have to say school definitely had it’s place and still does. I’m Mazda Australia factory trained here in Vic. Mazda Aus has it setup to that apprentices who go through the school go generally one week a month on something like 24 different subjects and at the end of that test you sit a pass/fail theory test. Then next block you do the prac test.

Here By law you have to have attended some type of recognized training organization to be a professional Tech

Also the dealer pays for the training roughly 25,000 AUD ish…

I’ll forever be learning on the job but school gives you the basic support and knowledge to know what your actually playing

[Mike]

So now I know that in Canada and Australia, one is required to be formally educated to be a tech. I wonder where else it’s like that. It sure isn’t like that in the US. Here people just go to college, even if they don’t have a career path, people just go. Then they graduate, get a job, don’t like it, quit and go back to school for something else, then possibly repeat the process again. DaFirnz’s John Oliver video was GREAT (and thanks for that, I didn’t know about that show).

This is my favorite video about going to college in America:

[Jason White]

[quote=”AusTac” post=142298]Here By law you have to have attended some type of recognized training organization to be a professional Tech

Also the dealer pays for the training roughly 25,000 AUD ish…

I’ll forever be learning on the job but school gives you the basic support and knowledge to know what your actually playing[/quote]

I wish it was this way here in the US. For one thing it would make it so that companies can’t just hire and guy to be a grease monkey. Another thing is it would bring integrity and respect to the profession. All too often I have worked places where they hired guys off the street that had never touched a car before. They didn’t even know how to properly torque lug nuts correctly and I try to show them and get this dirty “don’t tell me what to do” look and they continue to do the wrong thing, to people cars, until something would happen. So many guys that can put parts on a car but they don’t truely know what they are doing, they do not know the science behind it and it results in lower quality.

Standard education or at least certification would weed out these idiots that tarnish a potentially very respectable profession.

[Rick]

Even if the United States required something like that it wouldn’t change anything. Dealerships don’t care if something is fixed properly, they want it done as quick as possible so they can get more billable hours in. If a return comes back the dealership tells the customer it was something else on their car that cause the repair to fail.

I’ve seen one place, it was a tire shop that torqued lug nuts to spec.

Shops need a shop foreman that stays on top of people and pushes out the shitbags that won’t produce quality work.

[Author]

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