Many students have their licenses to drive their cars to school every day, but when problems arise with their vehicles, they might not always have the know-how to make their own repairs. Unfortunately, taking your car into the shop whenever these problems come up can quickly burn  a hole in your wallet and take up valuable time. Luckily, right here at Apex High School we have a series of classes for those interested in automotive services. Whether you plan to go into the automotive field for your career, or just want to expand your technical knowledge regarding motor vehicles, saving yourself time and money on repairs or upgrades, this branch of CTE courses has a little bit to offer for everyone, regardless of your career path.

In these classes, you’ll be given hands-on experience with the material you’re learning in class, not just standard book work and testing, making your learning experience more engaging and helping you to be confident in your skills as you continue to apply your knowledge. In addition to the mechanical knowledge you’ll learn regarding vehicles, automotive classes can teach you a lot of skills you can apply to all kinds of jobs and walks of life. Much of the classwork for automotive services includes in-shop projects working in small teams to solve problems and make repairs together. Also, beyond just teamwork and practical thinking skills, a large part of the automotive fundamentals class is learning and identifying different tool types and their uses, while this is very important for working in the automotive shop, being familiar with these tools and how to use them is a critical skill in any kind of construction, carpentry, engineering, or most any STEM field you could think of. 

Speaking of which, jobs in these industries are in very high demand right now, with many jobs waiting to be filled, and fewer individuals than ever with the skill sets to fill them. This means that getting your foot in the door of the industry with the knowledge and certifications from these classes can put you ahead of the competition when applying for jobs, internships, and apprenticeships within this field. Also, with these jobs being in such high demand, companies are willing to pay employees in these positions much more than usual making the role of an automotive technician not only a practical career, but quite a lucrative one as well, so the opportunities and value of these skills and work experience are at an all time high!

One of the most valuable advantages students can gain from these classes is job readiness, earning valuable certifications like Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is one of the best things you can do to show an employer that you’re a prime candidate for whatever position you might be looking for in the future. These certifications are also great for enhancing your resume, qualifications, and the number of jobs available to you. Beyond our high school classes, students can continue to specialize within the automotive field after graduation, lots of universities like the Universal Technical Institute, University of Michigan, and Purdue University, just to name a few, present excellent opportunities for students to continue their specialization into the automotive field as they  pursue advanced education and their potential careers.

If you’re a student who enjoys hands-on, technical work, and are looking for experience and skills to enter the automotive industry, or if you just have an interest in cars and mechanics and would like to learn more about them, you’ll be sure to gain valuable knowledge you can apply in the future here in our Automotive Shop. If you’d like to learn more about Automotive Services fundamentals and Automotive Services I, II, or III, you can swing by room 1234, or contact our automotive services instructor, Mr. Graham, at rgraham5@wcpss.net.