"The workers' uniforms are smudged with stains earned underneath a car, wrench in hand. Their repair garage teems with an array of inoperable vehicles and twisted metal. One car's wheels have been removed; another sports a mangled fender. Here, the labor is free - and the mechanics are earning college credits. Los Angeles Trade-Technical College offers the largest community college auto repair program in the region, turning out graduates ready to work at dealership service centers, independent shops and the fleet departments of municipalities,"
""One thing that makes us unique is the scale - we are the biggest in Los Angeles by a long shot," he said. "Most community colleges may have two faculty teaching automotive, some have one, some have no full-time faculty. Just in automotive, I have seven." As the rising cost of four-year universities has led many to question the value of higher education, training for high-demand trades has been growing."
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College operates a large Automotive and Related Technology program that enrolls more than 1,000 students and awards certificates and associate of science degrees. Students perform hands-on repairs in a busy garage environment, earning college credits while repairs are offered free. The program prepares graduates for dealership service centers, independent shops and municipal fleet departments and has evolved to include training on fuel injection, airbags and electric vehicles. The Transportation Workforce Institute staffs the program with multiple full-time faculty. Interest in vocational training is growing amid rising four-year university costs and state workforce initiatives.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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