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JANUARY 2005

Klaus Ulkann, VP, & Geoff Day, Dir. of Communications of Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz Launches First Lab at Automotive High School

By Liza Young

The progress of the automotive industry depends on the developments and insights of major corporations, but to ensure continued success, the seeds of growth in the industry must be planted at the educational level, and as early as possible within the educational system. This is especially true today due to the shortage of technicians in the field and the rapid advancement of technology reaching the design model of cars, with the installation of computer chips in vehicles.

The people at Mercedes-Benz are fully aware of the importance of a comprehensive education in the field of car mechanics to the future of the industry as evidenced by the establishment in 1998 of the Technician Training Program called Elite and recently by the opening of its first lab in an auto school, specifically at the Automotive High School in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. In addition to the creation of the lab being a key resource for the future growth of their company, especially with today’s shortage of auto technicians, it is a very exciting prospect for educators and students.

(L-R) Lesia Koropey, Corporate Communications, Mercedes-Benz & Iris Blanc, Director, Virtual Enterprises, DOE

Mercedes wisely chose to collaborate with Automotive High School in the launching of the new lab, as the school is one of the only institutions in the United States that provides a comprehensive automotive education at the level of high school. Graduates of the school are eligible for Certificates of Employability, essentially a guarantee of the students’ preparation in the field. Additionally, the programs at the school are in accordance with NATEF, the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. Also, students at the school have the opportunity for real world experience, having had, for example, collaboration in the past with Toyota.

Upon visiting the school, it is quite evident that teachers are highly competent in the field in addition to being caring and warm-hearted. The staff is composed of fine instructors such as Thomas Cassino, who was awarded in 2004 with an outstanding career tech award from the United Federation of Teachers. Students at the school are clearly enthusiastic about the program and are of course very excited by the recent opening of the lab. “This is a fun, exciting learning experience. It’s a great experience and of course its nice to see the luxury cars,” stated a junior year student, Travis Wilson.

With the opening of the lab, students will have the opportunity to work with first-rate cars, which have such innovations as a turning signal which has a dimming feature so as not to blind oncoming traffic. Students will also have the incredible opportunity of working with the Mercedes Benz sedan, where students will convert the diesel fuel system that it currently runs on into a fuel system derived from vegetable based cooking oil.

Collaborations between major auto companies and specialized auto schools are fundamental to students interested in pursuing a career in the auto industry. Students have the opportunity for an early start in a field which is interesting and rewarding. According to Wayne Hays, Supervisor, Training Aid Design Production, students who complete the program at the Automotive High School, with subsequent additional training at the 16-week program at Elite, have a 96 percent placement rate at a dealership. Mr. Hays described the career as rewarding with the opportunity for upward mobility and an expected salary rate, after completing the five-year training program, in the range of $60,000.

Other schools offering career and technical education in the area of automotive education are William E. Grady High School (Brooklyn), Thomas Edison Career & Technical HS (Queens), Tottenville HS (Staten Island), and Alfred E. Smith HS (Bronx).#

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