The El Camino College Automotive Technology Department recently secured accreditation for its degree and certificate programs. After an accelerated two-year process of editing curriculum, securing funding, and partnering with advisory members, the automotive department received accreditation from the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation.
The ASE accreditation affirms the high standards of El Camino College's automotive program, which prepares students for employment in the field and provides upgrade opportunities for currently employed personnel, in addition to offering preparation for third-party industry certification tests. Students learn skills that can lead to high-paying careers in automotive service, repair, tune-up, or automotive air conditioning. Program graduates go on to succeed in their chosen career, often finding employment in the South Bay.
Giovani Ortega has been in the program for the past two years and is looking forward to turning his interest in cars into a successful career.
"I took my first class in auto tech so that I could learn how to take care of my car," said Ortega, who is currently working at a dealership and is also considering becoming an auto tech teacher one day. "Now it has become a career choice. Through this program, I found that the industry is huge. Everyone drives a car; everyone needs their car to run well; everyone needs maintenance and repairs. There is always work, and this program, with a new facility and amazing teachers, prepares you for that next step."
Congratulations to the automotive faculty and support staff who coordinated the accreditation efforts. The rigorous five-step accreditation process confirms that the structure, processes, resources, materials, and mission of El Camino College's automotive program is competitive with other programs and ensures that the program continues to keep up with overall improvements.