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Career Quick Look: Automotive Repair Training

By AJ Fanter
AJFanter@careertrainingdirectory.com
Career Training Directory Columnist

When you consider hot careers, auto mechanic may not necessarily be the first career option you think of, but think again. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for those with automotive repair training are expected to grow by as much as 10-20% until at least 2012.

Career Ops for those with Automotive Repair Training

With a certificate or degree in automotive repair training under you belt, there are a wide variety of career options available. For example, after completing your training, you’ll be ready to maintain, inspect and repair everything from small engines to diesel-powered heavy equipment. And, depending on what area you specialize in, your automotive repair training program will prepare you to do tune ups, brake and air-conditioning repair, transmission rebuilding or even collision repair.

Why Automotive Repair Training?

While some automotive repair technicians learn by working with experienced mechanics, most employers prefer someone with automotive repair training. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers are not only looking for entry-level employees who “possess mechanical aptitude and knowledge of how automobiles work,” most employers regard the successful completion of an automotive repair training program as the very best preparation for their trainee positions.

Getting Automotive Repair Training

Some schools provide concentrated automotive repair training programs that can be completed in as little as six months. Other programs are structured to run over a two-year period. These programs include other classes such as math, business and English in addition to the automotive repair training courses. These longer programs generally conclude with the student receiving an associate’s degree.

If you’d like to jump-start your career in automotive repair, you’ll find a lot more roads open to you after you receive automotive repair training.

Sources:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

About the Author

Amy Fanter is a full-time marketing writer specializing in direct mail copy for the gaming industry. She holds a B.A. in English from Colby College with concentrations in Education and Government.

Posted on: September 29, 2005