By Allie Bluhm

Are you on the road to a better career? You could be if you enroll in Lenoir Community College’s Automotive Systems Technology program. Led by Program Chair David Pearce, LCC’s automotive program is summed up well by Pearce himself, saying that the purpose of the program is to “train interested parties to be able to work on technologically advanced vehicles in modern repair facilities with adequate competence.”

LCC’s program prepares students for whatever problems they may see in a dealership or an independent garage. “We try to make sure our students are exposed to pretty much every system on a car before they go out into the field,” Pearce said.

Pearce has had plenty of experience in the automotive industry, having worked with Volvo, BMW, Cadillac, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Jeep, Pontiac and Toyota among other independent dealerships and garages. He has more than 40 years of experience in the industry. “Students should go through an automotive program because it will give them the needed edge over those just starting out fresh at a basic level.”

Pearce said it is important to get an Automotive Systems Technology degree when trying to get ASE certified. ASE is the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, which is the industry-standard organization that offers certification in a variety of automotive specifics to those who qualify.

To qualify, the applicant must have at least two years of on the job experience in the tested subject. However, this is not the case for those who graduate from the automotive program. “Graduates of the two-year program only need one year of job experience to test for certification,” Pearce said. “Essentially, graduating from the program gives students the advantage over others by not only being able to test for the certification early but having the tools and knowledge necessary to pass.”

The National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) certifies the program at a master’s level, which is the highest that a program can be certified by NATEF. “By having this, students can be sure they are a part of a program that is respected by employers. Being certified by NATEF also helps by allowing students to get their ASE certifications after just one year of work experience,” Pearce said.

Employment is something you don’t need to worry about, according to Pearce. “There’s not a week goes by that we don’t get calls from people asking for technicians. Not only does the demand exist in Kinston, but the requests also come from places such as Rose Hill and Greenville. “Graduates who do well in the program can find job placements, no problem.”

Students can “expect to be exposed to anything they will see in a dealership or garage, sometimes more,” he said. “We bring in things to train specifically for what shops may not want to handle.”

These varied experiences help employability in graduates, as many base level employees may not have ever seen what graduates have been exposed to. In the first year of the program, students learn all the basics of car maintenance and care, such as oil changes, alignments, and engine service. In the next year, students will face more complicated tasks such as using the scan tools, electronic repairs and working on hybrid electric systems.

The automotive industry is not just for men. Women in the program are enrolling more. “Generally, women pull up the level of competition. They do well at testing and retaining information, and it makes the men want to do better.”

Pearce and his colleagues put a tremendous amount of effort into staying up to date with current trends and technological advances in the industry. Every year, Pearce hosts an automotive instructor update class. These classes help high school instructors in Lenoir and surrounding counties to stay up-to-date with what’s new in the industry.

Pearce and his associate instructor Noah Wiggins also attend classes hosted by other organizations. NATEF also requires that instructors have 20 hours of update training per year as well.

The commitment to keep new technology in the program has been a great help to students as well. “A lot of technicians out there today are not well versed in the technology of today,” Pearce said, “Many are working on cars like they were working on cars 10 years ago. Changes are constantly happening, and we’re trying our very best to stay up to date for our students.”

For more information, visit LCC Automotive.