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I know that this part of the forum is for technicians only, but this is a question related to the field that I would like for actual technicians to assist me with. I would like to know what education is required and where you guys received said education for being a technician. Also, would technicians get angry if I asked to shadow them for work experience, i.e. work for them in exchange for training and experience? Thanks guys!
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[quote=”Skillz” post=175325]Here in Georgia an Employer registers you for Emission classes, your not able to register yourself.
I am at the end of a community college school program attending under the Pell Grant. I pay nothing, my instructor owns multiple shops, and I am working side by side with Technicians that are attending to update there skills, I learn from them too. I have found that this is a never ending journey because of all the new technology. If you want to learn there is no reason not to take advantage of a good community college.[/quote]My next question was going to be about that very thing the inspection license. Here in TX I was able to go to TX.gov and fill out the application and pay the $25 license fee. The person I called before submitting the app to inquire about the class schedule said that once my application is approved (background check) I would receive another email with the course dates and times. The safety inspection class is 4 hours and its 8 hours total if you also do the emissions class also.
Do dealers want you to have both starting out or do most only require you to have the safety part? How does the emissions side play in now with dealers since they don’t really do the roller test just the plug and play to check for codes or MIL/ CEL’s to pass or fail for emissions correct?
Ill update the thread once I hear back from TX DPS and see if I can actually do the emissions side also being as I’m not yet employed by a dealer
Not having a local inspection license, as it was never offered to me nor am I able to get it without being from a certified shop has literally left me unemployable as a tech. Even applying for jobs that don’t state it as required, the first question I get is if I have it.
To find out what local shops are looking for as far as inspection licenses, look at local job postings.
Just an update, my application for the inspector license has been approved and I’m scheduled for 2 days this coming week to get it all done. I go on Tuesday from 8-12 for the safety part and 8-12 on Thursday for the emissions part.
DaFirnz could not the shops you are applying to send you to get it?
I know this is a trick question just because of so many variables but does anyone know about what I could expect starting pay to be at a Honda dealer for a Express/Lube Technician as they call it?
I have my EPA 609 (not that it would matter for this position),will have my state inspector license after this week, am currently enrolled in a auto tech program and I’m currently studying for and think I can take and pass the ASE G1 now.
[quote=”reaper556″ post=175885]I know this is a trick question just because of so many variables but does anyone know about what I could expect starting pay to be at a Honda dealer for a Express/Lube Technician as they call it?
I have my EPA 609 (not that it would matter for this position),will have my state inspector license after this week, am currently enrolled in a auto tech program and I’m currently studying for and think I can take and pass the ASE G1 now.[/quote]
I’d do a study guide on the G1. I found it a bit more in dept than I thought it was going to be.
I’d get all the certifications I could if I were you. It makes you more hirable and more desirable and really helps out in the long run.
[quote=”Jasonw1178″ post=175894][quote=”reaper556″ post=175885]I know this is a trick question just because of so many variables but does anyone know about what I could expect starting pay to be at a Honda dealer for a Express/Lube Technician as they call it?
I have my EPA 609 (not that it would matter for this position),will have my state inspector license after this week, am currently enrolled in a auto tech program and I’m currently studying for and think I can take and pass the ASE G1 now.[/quote]
I’d do a study guide on the G1. I found it a bit more in dept than I thought it was going to be.
I’d get all the certifications I could if I were you. It makes you more hirable and more desirable and really helps out in the long run.[/quote]
I have been studying the Delmar guide on it and your correct it is fairly in-depth, more so than what most would think. It seems like a little bit of A1-A8 rolled into one. I wont attempt any of the other ASE’s yet since I don’t think it would do much good until I get farther into my schooling, I could be wrong on that though?
I’m doing the G1 even though I cant technically be certified since I don’t have the work requirement time in yet because I figure it would look good to potential employers showing I have the basics down and am motivated to learn and progress
Some shops out there will do a mentoring/apprenticeship program. We have one kid(he’s 19, so that’s a kid to me) who was hired this way. He does the oil changes, and the lighter work, including detailing cars. The owner had him sign an agreement to work for him for a set amount of time to pay for the tools he got him to start with. I think he may look at taking another one on now, not sure. From my 20+ years of experience, most trade schools do a mediocre job of really getting you ready. I have only seen a couple with potential, the rest were useless. When I quizzed a couple of them on what they learned, from different schools mind you, I started to form an opinion. A lot of tear down and reassembly of stuff that you may or may not ever do in the real world, with stuff that easily comes apart. There was theory, etc taught, but zero done to reinforce retention of learned material. Common sense is most definitely not taught, and that you must have, or quickly learn. What advanced stuff you did perform or learn, you will not put to use for one to two years, henceforth its wasted. If you go to a dealer, then they probably won’t have time for babysitting and training duties, so some school may help. IMO, you are far better off going to work for a shop that has the right people to help train you. You’ll learn a lot more, faster, and not have to pay for school. You’ll have to do it anyways, no matter you go to school or not. We had a UTI grad set a dodge on fire the first week he was there. He didn’t think you had to stab a distributor any certain way. Luckily nothing was damaged. Last I heard, he quit by email, and had his daddy come get his tools from him after the second week, and took a job in Denver with a VW dealer, lol.
Electrical theory as was said, is what separates the men from the boys. I pound it into every green tech, that its the most important thing you learn. Learn the laws of physics and understand them. Learn electrical and master it. If you want something to test your brain and help you apply electrical theory, then study for a ham radio license. You almost have to be an electronics engineer to pass the top license test, trust me, I did it. Learn ohms law and live it. From what I seen, none of the schools prep you for that near enough.I work in a tire shop, obviously a starting job. We hire guys who have graduated technical schools and we have to teach them how to use the impact gun!
My advice, skip the school and start work in a tire shop! It’s an entry level job, so if you work hard and don’t complain, you will stand out. Maybe start flipping cars on the side to get into more mechanical work. Plus if you work in a shop like mine where we also have mechanics, there is a great wealth of information in them for the taking.
I am really hating on automotive schools right now
[quote=”TauroTech” post=177119]I work in a tire shop, obviously a starting job. We hire guys who have graduated technical schools and we have to teach them how to use the impact gun!
My advice, skip the school and start work in a tire shop! It’s an entry level job, so if you work hard and don’t complain, you will stand out. Maybe start flipping cars on the side to get into more mechanical work. Plus if you work in a shop like mine where we also have mechanics, there is a great wealth of information in them for the taking.
I am really hating on automotive schools right now[/quote]
Probably some good advice there, though tire shops aren’t the best starting point. Sometimes you don’t have a choice, thoughI’ve stated a few times there is a school roughly an hour and a half from me that is ranked nationally for tech schools. They have several manuf programs and even the Chevrolet Dealerships up here in mid Ohio send techs to this school for Manuf cert. I started there and moved to a different city.
The school here in my town is such a joke they literally send mass e-mails to the entire college begging students to register for classes. Frankly I think it’s mediocre instructors. There’s an old guard here that needs to go. Some of the new blood that has come in is simply top notch.
My point being is yes school will give you a foundation. But it’s also what you put into it. MDK22, ETCG, and other have stated that a long with school they read every auto text book cover to cover, often going to the library and reading every book they could find cover to cover in the library also.
And you still have to dedicate some time each week to learning new things, refreshing old things. The one instructor I had in college that was worth his salt gave me a list 15 names long of amazing youtube channels he watches over and over. This man has been in the field for 40 years. And he still studies.
Most importantly tech school education is something no one can take away from you. Associates degree or just certificate, you earned that paper. Be proud of it. Same with ASE’s. I don’t care what people say, you study for those test, you earn those badges. Be proud.
I’m not sure what was said before my post because I’m lazy and I didn’t read them all. Hopefully this bit of rambling helped you some.
I think it is dependent on the individual. If the person has some grasp of automotive and strong reasoning skills, then going to school for a piece an expensive piece of paper to do oil changes for the next year or two is a bit much. If you lack any knowledge at all, then school may be the best bet, but you will likely forget all you studied by the time you get to really apply it, or find out it’s not really that way in a shop. I’ve encountered grads from UTI-Phoenix, Wyotech, as well as 3 of the local tech schools. The best of them, was one of two grads I encountered from UTI, and he has potential but needs a year or two of mentoring by a top tier tech before he will really be something outstanding. If he ever does that, he will be really great. Sadly the last I saw him, he was wasting away at a back alley hack shop. The other UTI grad set a dodge on fire the first week he worked, and he was already on his second job within a month. He lasted one more week before he emailed the owner he quit. He stabbed a distributor out of time, and started spraying brake clean on the engine because he knew he now had a vacuum leak when it ran horrible. Lacked the basic ability to follow directions, and to ask questions, let alone to use the right tool for the job. The rest of the grads from the other schools, one had the willingness to learn, but had personal life issues that interfered with that, and the others, 4-5 of them, could barely be trusted to do oil changes and basic inspections after 6-12mo of doing the job and instruction. I feel that schools do not do nearly enough in teach problem solving skills and insuring the students have a 100% grasp of it, and prepping them for real life in a real shop. We have had better luck teaching fresh meat how to work, than trying to reprogram graduates. Manufacture programs can have some benefit, but honestly, don’t let yourself be handicapped(I’ll get flamed by the dealer guys for this) by working on one brand of vehicle. You’ll find yourself struggling later on in the industry. Just ask all the dealer techs that were laid off 7 or 8 years ago.
[quote=”TauroTech” post=177119]I work in a tire shop, obviously a starting job. We hire guys who have graduated technical schools and we have to teach them how to use the impact gun!
My advice, skip the school and start work in a tire shop! It’s an entry level job, so if you work hard and don’t complain, you will stand out. Maybe start flipping cars on the side to get into more mechanical work. Plus if you work in a shop like mine where we also have mechanics, there is a great wealth of information in them for the taking.
I am really hating on automotive schools right now[/quote]
I see what you’re saying, kind of agree, kind of disagree.
I worked at a parts store, then a shop briefly, went to school, while working in a shop. Tire shop to be exact, a Goodyear franchise, I didn’t finish school because I didn’t feel it was getting me anywhere, because I still wasn’t a tech/mechanic. Shy 2 classes. Once I finally learned to apply it and got expereince I’m leagues ahead of those self-taught guys that skipped school. Schools and tire shops can be very hit or miss, mostly miss. School gave me a deeper understanding of the systems which paid off well. Then, I had to go to Nissan’s training, and that put me on another level. Most mechanics are machine gunners, I’m a sniper. Most tire shop techs are okay at best, a few will be good, but are far and inbetween. You don’t want to pick up bad habbits or bad info. When I went to the dealer I had to basically rewire my brain and relearn everything. Well worth it though.
There is a program some places where you go to school for a semester, then you work for another semester. It takes a lot longer, but I think is a better balance. To be a tech, especially when you step it up to being a full technician, doing real diagnoistics and such,the first two years are hell. After that it starts to get easier, you learn to stay out from being buried under BS.
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