A career as an automotive tech offers fulfilling career opportunities

The retail automobile industry is in need of need of young men and women who are interested in pursuing a career on the service, or technical, side of the business.

Men and women who establish careers in the service and parts departments usually have a passion for automobiles for cars and a curiosity for how things work.

One of those career options is a licensed automotive technician. Candidates require a high school diploma and three to five years of classroom and apprenticeship training. Centennial College, Conestoga College and Niagara Colleges are among the post-secondary schools in Ontario that offer Automotive Service Technician programs.

Some colleges allow flexible programs so that that students can attend school once or more per week, to accommodate their work schedules.

Another skilled trade in the technical side of the business is an auto body repair technician, which also requires a grade 12 diploma, along with three to five years of classroom instruction and apprenticeship.

Candidates learn about body and frame repair, welding, refinishing, mechanical systems, and health and safety in the workplace. An auto body technician possesses good math and computer skills, and are able to make precise measurements to ensure accurate placement of vehicle body sections. They also possess a skill of craftsmanship because no two vehicle repairs are alike.

Another career on the technical side is an auto body refinishing technician. Automotive refinishing technicians paint and refinish automobiles, trucks, and buses and restore them to their pre-accident condition, or for custom design purposes. They calculate the amount of paint required for each job, mix paint to match pre-existing colours and blend paint to it proper thickness.

Auto body refinishers deal with flammable materials, mix paints and prep vehicles and they adhere to all of the municipal and provincial by-laws governing the safe storage and removal of hazardous materials.

Many young people who are attending school may be evaluating their career options. The technical side of the retail auto industry (automotive or body shop technician, or a painter) offers a fulfilling career in a dynamic industry for those with the right technical skills and work ethic.

For more information about technical careers in the retail auto industry, contact your local new car dealership or a community college near you.