The South Orange-Maplewood School District is partnering with the nonprofit New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJCAR) to give students the option of enrolling in an after-school automotive technician training program.
Superintendent of Schools Jason Bing announced the District’s participation in the program at the Oct. 30 Board of Education meeting, saying that about five Columbia High School students who attended the information session at the high school are excited to start the training.
Bing also noted that car dealerships now are down by about 65% of their workforce in regards to auto technicians, so NJCAR developed the program where students go to car dealerships after school to train to be technicians.
“I believe they’ll be starting that first cohort within the next two weeks,” Bing said. “And then if they don’t get into that first cohort, they’ll be in the second cohort starting in the spring.”
According to the NJCAR’s website the tuition-free TAP program “aims to convert participating dealerships into automotive training facilities that prepare students for a lucrative career as automotive technicians. The training includes an 18-week, hands-on boot camp where students will receive training in maintenance and light repair. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to enter the automotive workforce in an entry-level position with any dealership.”
Bing said the training will be at Hillside Toyota on Route 22.
“[The training] qualifies them to be an auto technician and get into the auto field,” he said. “It’s a great way to prepare our kids for the auto field, especially for those school districts such as South Orange-Maplewood School District that can’t afford the infrastructure improvements” for a program at the school.
“We would have to really put in five different bays to qualify for funding. So most districts can’t do that unless you’re a vocational school. So this program is perfect for districts like us who have kids that are interested in auto and can go right to the dealership and get trained. So we’re very excited about that.”
