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Pueblo Community College Car Program Gives Students Firsthand Training

Posted on: Wednesday, 2 November 2005, 12:01 CST

By Nick Bonham, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Nov. 1--Adam Medina is already cruising on the road to his future career.

The 17-year-old Pueblo Centennial High School senior has been driving for some time.

Medina's career actually lies beneath the car hood, in the complex and high-tech universe of air-flow and fuel-injected systems, computer-powered modules and microchips.

An apprentice at Pueblo Toyota, 2125 U.S. 50 West, Medina doesn't have the headaches of selecting a college to attend next year.

Toyota is sending him to San Juan Community College in Farmington, N.M., where he'll train in its T-10 program.

In two years, hopefully, he'll earn an associate's degree and will be a certified master technician, making close to $40,000 a year in Pueblo, where he'll return to work for the dealership.

In five years, it'll be twice that and maybe even more.

It's an opportunity Robert Maez, an automotive technology instructor at Pueblo Community College, wishes he had at Medina's age.

"I had to go through the school of hard knocks," he told Medina on Monday.

Medina, a pupil of Maez, is one of about 70 local high school juniors and seniors participating in PCC's Automotive Youth Educational System (AYES).

Maez, an 11-year instructor at PCC, said, "Students can start their careers at a young age" with the AYES program, which is featured at more than 250 colleges in America and at least in eight in Colorado.

AYES is a partnership between high schools, colleges, car dealerships and manufactures.

In its six-year existence, an estimated 100 students have graduated from AYES and advanced in their education or respective careers.

A future in repairing and fixing cars spawned at an early age for Medina, who toiled regularly with the mechanics of his bicycle.

AYES "gives me a career I can jump into with experience," the muscular Medina said, who replaced helmet and football pads for wrenches and grease this year.

The AYES program is a two-year commitment. Students initially are selected for the program through Advanced Vocational Education Partnership programs in school districts 60 and 70, and then start taking classes in automotive technology and collision at PCC.

Aside from regular high school classes, the students spend 12 hours a week, or between eight or nine credit hours, working on donated engines, car parts, new high-tech satellite and operation systems and cars themselves.

After the first year, students are selected for a summer apprenticeship at local car dealerships. AYES, AVEP and the dealerships purchase $3,200 worth of Snap On Tools for the students, who will work closely with a mentor as they gain field experience and work to own the tool set.

They continue to work year-round until they complete their second apprenticeship. Students earn certificates from both AYES and PCC when graduating.

Medina finished his first summer apprenticeship and often works with mentor Pat Huelsman at Pueblo Toyota.

"Adam is a great kid, a good learner and usually you don't have to show him more than once," said Huelsman, a 12-year master technician.

"This is an excellent experience for (students). The automotive field is changing day by day so drastically, they pick up so much information that helps them out."

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To see more of The Pueblo Chieftain, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.chieftain.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

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TM, 7203,

Source: The Pueblo Chieftain

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