As a Chrysler Technician, You Will Work at a Respected Company
When we are
driving our cars, we don't wonder if the engine is running properly or
whether the tires need rotating. Usually, we realize these things with
the help of automotive service technicians. Those who drive Chrysler
models, have them inspected, maintained and repaired by trained Chrysler technicians.
Their jobs include: diagnosing problems using Chrysler diagnostic
equipment; performing repairs and preventive maintenance on engines,
transmissions, electrical systems, brakes and tires. Now is a great time
to join the Chrysler team, as
this company is number two in volume, slightly edging out Ford Motor
company (not including their Premier Automotive Group) and holding just
more than 14 per cent of the market. If that's not enough to convince
you, note that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job growth in
Automotive Service Technology to grow by 14 percent from 2006 through
2016.
The first step to becoming a Chrysler technician is to participate in a Chrysler apprenticeship, such as the one offered at Centennial College in Toronto.
Taking two years to complete, the apprenticeship prepares students for
careers as: automotive service technicians, service writers/ advisors,
service managers, instructors/ professors and auto company
representatives. To apply for the Automotive Service Technician Chrysler
Co-op students must have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary
School Diploma (OSSD) or General Educational Development (GED) or
equivalent. They may also be required to present a resume and transcript
for faculty review. Please consider that English proficiency and
satisfactory results in a program admission session will also be
considered during the admissions process. Lastly, applicants may be
required to fill out a questionnaire.
In-school
training is an essential part of this apprenticeship. Training takes
place at Ontario's largest automotive training centre, Ashtonbee campus,
which is fully equipped with the latest Chrysler equipment and tools.
Successful students earn an Ontario College diploma, have eight months
of practical, on-the-job, co-op training in a Chrysler dealership and
complete their entire Ontario apprenticeship in-school curriculum within
two years.
Not
only do students participate in automotive training, they also take
theoretical courses in business (Occupational Health & Safety,
Employment Pre-Placement, Organizational Behavior, Communications for
Professionals in the Automotive Industry, Fixed Operations Management).
However, of course, the automotive course are just as important and
include: Engine Systems (introduction into the principles of operation
and the terms related to the internal combustion engine), Suspension/
Steering & Brake Systems (looks at course kinetic energy, handling
dynamics, frames types and damage, friction, steering designs, and
more); Workplace Practice and Procedures (five topic areas are covered:
fasteners, bearing and seals, oxyacetylene operation, computer
fundamentals); and many others, including a unique advanced electrical
and electronics diagnosis course.Students spend the first eight months
of the program in school, eight months in co-op as a registered
apprentice and a final eight months in school. The field part of their Chrysler apprenticeship
allows them to apply what they have been learning and take away new
knowledge from their employer. They also have a chance to network and
interact with real customers.
