Photos courtesy of Chariot Automotive Group
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Chariot Automotive Group (CAG) recently started the fourth year of Automotive Technician Education Pathway (ATEP), its educational program for high school students. This year’s cohort consists of 45 students, and the program offers three classes, including two first year classes, one second year class at Academy and one second year class at Ivy Tech Kokomo.
“Over the past four years, we have seen 150 students from 13 different schools through the ATEP program,” said Rex Gingerich, CEO of Chariot Automotive Group. “We are excited to expand the program by offering another class at Button, creating more opportunities to give students a sense of direction and purpose for what’s next in their career journey.”
The ATEP program allows high school juniors and seniors to participate in hands-on training while earning college credit – at no cost to them – toward an Associate Degree in Automotive Technology at Ivy Tech Community College. During the course, students spend the first hour in the classroom learning concepts crucial for effective automotive technicians, followed by two hours in the lab implementing teachings through hands-on training.
Employment of automotive technicians and mechanics is projected to grow by 70,000 openings each year on average over the next decade, making the ATEP program critical to local workforce growth. Through the program, graduates are able to build careers that last long beyond a first job.
“The most valuable part of the program is learning inside an active dealership,” said Owen Montgomery, current ATEP student and service advisor at Chariot Automotive Group. “Being surrounded by employees and seeing the workflow firsthand provides a real-world experience that a traditional classroom simply can’t replicate.”
After completing the program, students may be offered a full-time automotive technician position at one of CAG’s four dealership locations. Additionally, the high school curriculum credits can be applied toward the Chariot Automotive Institute apprenticeship program, which is the only Indiana Department of Labor-accredited automotive technician program in the state. Chariot Automotive Institute has also collaborated with Snap-On to increase the value of ATEP program students’ annual tool voucher.
Chariot Automotive Group’s Academy Dealership is the flagship location for the ATEP program and recently celebrated its fifth anniversary in business. For more information about the ATEP program at Chariot Automotive Group, please visit drivechariot.com.