For Matthew Ludwig and Justin Dwyer, their future in the auto industry is a bright one, unmarred by a slumping auto sales market and Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings. The high school juniors from Fari
bault, Minn., won the annual Ford/AAA student auto skills competition Tuesday, by repairing a series of mechanical problems in a Ford Escape in just 42 minutes. The competition brings 50, two-person teams of student automotive technicians to the Detroit suburb to race against the clock and their skills for scholarship money and an opportunity to participate in a pit crew during a NASCAR race. But for sponsors Ford Motor Co. and AAA, the event is an investment in future employees, whether the students end up repairing vehicles at a dealership, or seek careers elsewhere in the auto industry. "People are looking at an average age of nine years for their cars. That's going to provide work," said Steve DeAngelis, technical support operations manager for Ford. "And I told them that these technical skills can lead them to other careers." DeAngelis and several of the instructors said the current generation of tech-savvy teenagers and young adults are well-matched to work on vehicles which are loaded with mini computers. "There's a shortage of qualified technicians," said John Nielsen, director of AAA's approved auto repair network. "As technology continues to grow, this competition highlights those skills." About 950 high schools across the U.S. offer an automotive technology program, where students get hands-on instruction on vehicle maintenance and repair, according to DeAngelis. Some students at the competition already have part-time jobs at repair shops. Ford has been sponsor for 15 years, placing many of the top students in jobs at Ford, Lincoln, Mercury dealerships. Eric Reed, half of the California team — which finished in fifth place — said he planned on becoming an architect before taking an auto shop class at his San Luis Obispo, Calif high school. Now the recent graduate plans to attend Northern Arizona University to study mechanical engineering.
bault, Minn., won the annual Ford/AAA student auto skills competition Tuesday, by repairing a series of mechanical problems in a Ford Escape in just 42 minutes. The competition brings 50, two-person teams of student automotive technicians to the Detroit suburb to race against the clock and their skills for scholarship money and an opportunity to participate in a pit crew during a NASCAR race. But for sponsors Ford Motor Co. and AAA, the event is an investment in future employees, whether the students end up repairing vehicles at a dealership, or seek careers elsewhere in the auto industry. "People are looking at an average age of nine years for their cars. That's going to provide work," said Steve DeAngelis, technical support operations manager for Ford. "And I told them that these technical skills can lead them to other careers." DeAngelis and several of the instructors said the current generation of tech-savvy teenagers and young adults are well-matched to work on vehicles which are loaded with mini computers. "There's a shortage of qualified technicians," said John Nielsen, director of AAA's approved auto repair network. "As technology continues to grow, this competition highlights those skills." About 950 high schools across the U.S. offer an automotive technology program, where students get hands-on instruction on vehicle maintenance and repair, according to DeAngelis. Some students at the competition already have part-time jobs at repair shops. Ford has been sponsor for 15 years, placing many of the top students in jobs at Ford, Lincoln, Mercury dealerships. Eric Reed, half of the California team — which finished in fifth place — said he planned on becoming an architect before taking an auto shop class at his San Luis Obispo, Calif high school. Now the recent graduate plans to attend Northern Arizona University to study mechanical engineering.For further details visit at : www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jRyqKGZqNuw8Eb2INVPVIEvOBZnQD98S3J102
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