Pub. 4 Issue 4

24 techs for his own shop, his workers are subject to a pay scheme that he says works well for them and encourages studied di- agnosis and careful repairs. “The dealer- ships want those jobs in and out the door as fast as possible,” he says. “You should see some of the stuff I get that’s been ser- viced at dealerships.” Educators at LTI and BMW are also trying to get students to look at the auto- motive-technician field more broadly—as a launchpad to better-paying opportunities down the road. Santangelo gives an exam- ple of one LTI student who went to work at the Mercedes-Benz dealership in Man- hattan, eventually transferring to a service sales position that paid six figures. “Then again,” says Ken Ramsey, one of BMW’s instructors in New Jersey, “a lot of people get into this because they don’t like sitting at a desk. A lot of guys are shop forever.” “There may not be a specific job or industry that is pulling would-be techs away from the auto industry,” Tahinos says, “but there is so much emphasis by parents and educators pushing kids toward going the traditional college route that many young people are unaware of the opportunities and the career paths available to them in the auto industry or any of the other skilled trades. Many are also unaware of the high-tech nature of today’s vehicles and the fact that being a technician today involves a lot less grease and grime and a lot more computerization and electronics.” Auto repair, done well, has always been a thinking person’s vocation. Work- ing through problems requires logic and inference and, now more than ever, the ability to troubleshoot difficult-to- diagnose digital malfunctions. Jeremy Stephens, an assistant professor at the Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College in Bowling Green, says roughly 80 percent of repairs today are electrical, having to do with sensors and emissions-control systems. But the job still has a tough physical element that turns some people off. “To be honest, I want to do something else,” says Juan Novo. Now in his late 20s, Novo had only toyed around with a proj- ect car and attended trade school before going to work at a dealership in Orlando, Florida. He then enrolled in classes at BMW’s training center. “I don’t want to get my hands dirty; I’m too cute for this,” he says. “But I’m already committed.” “I love working on cars, but it’s a hard life,” says Ricardo Davila, a tech from a Mini dealership in Rockland, Massa- chusetts, who also recently participated in classes at the BMW training center. Davila had 20 years of experience at an independent shop before going to work for a Mini store, but he was still a lower-level tech within the hierarchy. “If you’re smart enough to do this, it’s better to do some- thing else,” he says. “It’s not easy, and you have to spend a lot of money on tools.” “We’re not mechanics; we’re auto- motive technicians,” says LeBlanc, the independent shop owner. “You practi- cally need to be an I.T. guy to work on new cars.” Indeed, mechanics are usually re- quired to buy their own tools. Go to any automotive repair shop and you’re likely to see a Snap-on truck outside the service bay at least once a week, selling to and settling accounts with technicians. Costs can run well into five figures, although usually stretched over a period of years. LTI has a deal with Matco Tools to give students discounts on a basic starter set, but most new techs can expect to pay a few thousand dollars before they even turn their first wrench professionally. Students in BMW’s entry-level classes learn basic skills, such as how to read torque wrenches and vernier calipers and how to operate modern wheel-bal- ancing machines, while the upper-level students dig into the more sophisticated computer-diagnostic arena. Acquiring new competency andASE certifications is  AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS — continued from page 23