are there any good mechanic schools in the se mich area. my nephew is a senior in hs and is looking to become a auto mechanic for a living. they don't have alot of money so they would need some kind of student loans or assistance. thanks in advance. any help would be great!
mechanic schools
- Thread starter 1x99nova
- Start date
Beigg
Club Member
MCC or try just working at a independent shop if a certified dealer doesn't accept him. From personal experience, those technical schools do not pay off for what one could just go and do on there own. In the short, I had to work at a certified shop, pay for all my ASE and State tests out of pocket and be a full time worker while juggling school... Don't forget that I had to take out loans for paying it all! The degrees I have achieved/earned have not benefited me in anyway financially, the ASE/State certs have benefited me, and for that I didn't need to go to college or a tech school for.
derbydad276
Club Member
washtenaw ftw!
Beigg
Club Member
Not entirely so. You can be a student tech/apprentice learning on the job skill/trade.
1BADAIR
Club Member
ford techs arent union. almost all that were converted from contract to full time when i was there had to have an associates. gm proving grounds is hiring now. must have associates . chry is union
SuperStang90
Club Member
He doesnt want to be an auto mechanic :lol: slap some sense into him
racemycobra
New member
Macomb cc has a decent autos program...but I agree ...I did it for a living for 5 years and am happy to be out.. working on your own stuff and fixing your own problems is a lot different then inheriting someone elses problem
Sent from my DROIDX
Sent from my DROIDX
PiercedOne
New member
Ferris state is not in se Mich BUT I believe it to be the best school for becoming a tech. Also if he does two years then wants to do more he could go for 2 more years and have a batchlors degree. It's not super cheap but he can get loans and scholarships to help pay for most of it. That piece of paper will make a huge difference when he graduates and starts looking for a job.
I do know they do have satilite schools where he would be a ferris student taught by ferris instructors but at a different school.
I do know they do have satilite schools where he would be a ferris student taught by ferris instructors but at a different school.
draggingto
Club Member
I'm gonna go with most people on here, he should just try to get on the job training then go get his certs on his own, way cheaper in the long run. But if he really wants to go to school, WCC has a pretty good program and there prices aren't bad either.
Beigg
Club Member
Going from GM dealers to BMW to Mercedes to a select few non specific branded (certified) dealers, I did not need to show my associate degrees or a bach. I just had to show what ASE and or State certs I had under my belt at that time and that those certs were not lapsed while passing a drug test and driving record check.
draggingto
Club Member
Plus if he sticks with WCC, they have some pretty cool aftermarket builds they do in the more advanced classes.
braxx
Club Member
I would suggest that he get into something different but if he is only interested in being a mechanic/technician I'm not sure that he will need any schooling.
At 16 I was the bitch boy at Metro25 for a little more than a year. Graduated and moved out to Canton at 18 I got a job at an independent shop doing oil changes and bitch work, moved up to tune ups, then suspension and brakes. Never had a certification only a trainee cert (Allowed me to work under the owners certs and he signed off on my work) and I worked there for 2+ years. I left there to work at a Chrysler dealership and continued to work under a trainee permit reissuance. Worked at the dealer for a year and decided that I never wanted to work on cars for a living. I decided that if I was going to work in the auto field, it would be white collar. I left the auto field for 2 years to work at Drawtite in quality control. They closed up and I got back into auto stuff. I hired into SPX as a technical editor at the age of 24 (I reviewed the Factory Work Shop Manual for errors and also reviewed the associated labor time) and I've been here for 12yrs. I now write service procedures and develope the labor times.
Moral of the story is you don't need an education to get a mechanics job nor do you need one to move up. Unless you want to actually work for the big3.
At 16 I was the bitch boy at Metro25 for a little more than a year. Graduated and moved out to Canton at 18 I got a job at an independent shop doing oil changes and bitch work, moved up to tune ups, then suspension and brakes. Never had a certification only a trainee cert (Allowed me to work under the owners certs and he signed off on my work) and I worked there for 2+ years. I left there to work at a Chrysler dealership and continued to work under a trainee permit reissuance. Worked at the dealer for a year and decided that I never wanted to work on cars for a living. I decided that if I was going to work in the auto field, it would be white collar. I left the auto field for 2 years to work at Drawtite in quality control. They closed up and I got back into auto stuff. I hired into SPX as a technical editor at the age of 24 (I reviewed the Factory Work Shop Manual for errors and also reviewed the associated labor time) and I've been here for 12yrs. I now write service procedures and develope the labor times.
Moral of the story is you don't need an education to get a mechanics job nor do you need one to move up. Unless you want to actually work for the big3.
mustangmike6996
Club Member
Im 26, ASE master tech, L1 advanced engine C1 service consultant. and currently an Avionics tech for the USMC for EA-6B Prowler....
i have a ton of experience in many fields. (in order) ive worked as a shop manager in an independent shop, service consultant for Volvo, bumper to bumper tech for Lexus and bumper to bumper tech for Mercedes-Benz.... enlisting in the USMC at age 24.
without college i would have never made it to a dealership level... at University of Northwestern Ohio i studied auto repair and high performance and also was a Toyota T-TEN student. then transferred to Ferris State University to complete the rest of my Associates and a 4 year degree. i had trouble with family and ended up not finishing due to lack of funds ect.
yes attaining you ASE certs WILL help you find a job it will NOT make you a good tech. you need to learn the operating systems. as many on this site know, there is a computer or control module for pretty much EVERY single electronic feature on new cars. i went thru a good high school program and knew a ton about cars. but not enough to just jump in a shop and make flat rate times for non-maintenance repairs. which is a key thing in being a good tech, you need to be great at diagnostics. if he skips college now hell have a pretty hard time going back later in life.
if i were him id look into FSU's A.A.S. for auto repair and B.S. in Auto management or Auto engineering... graduate 2-4 years later get some hands on experience and try to get into a manufacturer research and development job.
ALSO a HUGE plus is a manufacture sponsored training program. my Toyota T-TEN helped me into Lexus just as much as my ASE master cert.... also i was paid WAY more than other techs without one or the other...
i have a ton of experience in many fields. (in order) ive worked as a shop manager in an independent shop, service consultant for Volvo, bumper to bumper tech for Lexus and bumper to bumper tech for Mercedes-Benz.... enlisting in the USMC at age 24.
without college i would have never made it to a dealership level... at University of Northwestern Ohio i studied auto repair and high performance and also was a Toyota T-TEN student. then transferred to Ferris State University to complete the rest of my Associates and a 4 year degree. i had trouble with family and ended up not finishing due to lack of funds ect.
yes attaining you ASE certs WILL help you find a job it will NOT make you a good tech. you need to learn the operating systems. as many on this site know, there is a computer or control module for pretty much EVERY single electronic feature on new cars. i went thru a good high school program and knew a ton about cars. but not enough to just jump in a shop and make flat rate times for non-maintenance repairs. which is a key thing in being a good tech, you need to be great at diagnostics. if he skips college now hell have a pretty hard time going back later in life.
if i were him id look into FSU's A.A.S. for auto repair and B.S. in Auto management or Auto engineering... graduate 2-4 years later get some hands on experience and try to get into a manufacturer research and development job.
ALSO a HUGE plus is a manufacture sponsored training program. my Toyota T-TEN helped me into Lexus just as much as my ASE master cert.... also i was paid WAY more than other techs without one or the other...
got2boostit2
Forum Member
if i were him id look into FSU's A.A.S. for auto repair and B.S. in Auto management or Auto engineering... graduate 2-4 years later get some hands on experience and try to get into a manufacturer research and development job.
This ^^^. There are many jobs available if he desires. Gone Mad is hiring via an outside source in Technical Assistance. Granted they want ASE certified former technicians. Also if he gets ^^^ there are jobs available as Service Engineers, Field Service Managers, dealer contact reps, etc. So turning wrenches won't be the final goal. I say go for it. Heck I spent thirty plus years doing it. It was very rewarding.
This ^^^. There are many jobs available if he desires. Gone Mad is hiring via an outside source in Technical Assistance. Granted they want ASE certified former technicians. Also if he gets ^^^ there are jobs available as Service Engineers, Field Service Managers, dealer contact reps, etc. So turning wrenches won't be the final goal. I say go for it. Heck I spent thirty plus years doing it. It was very rewarding.