Jumpstarting Cars and Careers
New Automotive Technology program has students doing more than talking shop Written by Megan Middleton
There just aren ’ t enough hours in the day for Crowley High senior Joe Rivera to tinker with automobiles .
“ I love cars — ever since I was little ,” Rivera said . “ I love just everything about cars — the growl of the engine , the smell of the fumes .”
When he heard about a new Automotive Technology program at Crowley ISD this school year , he immediately made room in his course schedule for it .
“ This class changed my life , honestly ,” he said . “ I usually just worked on my truck in my driveway . Now that I have this class for a whole hour and a half , it helps me have all this equipment at my disposal . It ’ s amazing to me .”
The Crowley ISD Board of Trustees voted in 2017 to bring back the district ’ s automotive program and renovate a space at Crowley High School to house a districtwide student auto shop lab .
Student interest and employability data from Workforce Solutions helped drive the decision to restart the program , said Annette Duvall , director of College and Career Readiness .
The program allows students to take courses during high school but also receive credit through Tarrant County College . Students also are working toward obtaining National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation ( NATEF ) certification .
“ It ’ s the very same certification they would get if they had graduated high school and they were going to Tarrant County College to take courses , but they are able to do so in high school ,” Duvall said .
The program doesn ’ t just teach students to conduct basic vehicle maintenance .
“ We ’ re also preparing students for what transportation looks like in the future ,” Duvall said . “ Our program is always changing and adapting according to what the needs of industry are . When kids leave Crowley ISD , we want them to be able to be employed .”
Automotive teacher Kevin Wilson said the program offers a tremendous opportunity for students to jumpstart their college and career path and get hands-on training . Wilson is passionate about ensuring special needs students also get the same training in the program .
This school year , students have worked on axles , water pumps and with suspension systems . They ’ ve completed a brake restoration project , worked with electronics and practiced general maintenance , among other projects . Wilson said each task has been performed according to NATEF expectations .
Students leave with an online portfolio and have access to it and their NATEF task sheets after they graduate .
“ I would think that any one of our students , after taking this program , could go to a franchise and show them they completed a high school program and they might get that beginning job ,” Wilson said .
He ’ s seen the program ignite students ’ passion to learn more about the automotive field .
“ They are now invigorated and talking about more training , and they are interested in learning more about other industries and what this crosses into ,” Wilson said . “ People think of automotive as just fixing cars , but it ’ s really a lot more . It ’ s really interesting where it could lead you .”
Rivera said he ’ s learned for the first time how to change wheel studs and replace a car window and delved into the world of auto fuses and wiring .
An aspiring diesel mechanic , he only wishes the program was around for him to take last year too .
“ We ’ re learning things now that even college people are still learning ,” he said . “ Once we get out of high school and go on to college , ( it will be ) oh , we know how to do that , we know how to do that — we learned it in high school .”
Auto Tech students learn how to work on brakes , axles , water pumps , suspension systems , electronics and gain general maintenance skills .
12 CROWLEY ISD CONNECTIONS | Spring 2018