Wesley Chapel High’s Academy of Automotive Technology has received a five-year certification for maintenance and light repair from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.
The certification provides a level of credibility because outside experts have evaluated the program and determined that it has met is rigorous standards, said Shelley Carrino, an assistant principal who oversees the automotive program.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
With this certification, students can be confident their training is current and adheres to high standards, Carrino said. Potential employers can be assured that the students are prepared to handle the demands of the work.
Obtaining a certification requires a two-day evaluation by a representative of the association. It includes checking out the program’s facilities, resources, quality of training programs, and equipment, and measures them against industry standards.
Details are important, Carrino said. For instance, the evaluator looked through the school’s tool drawers to make sure there is enough equipment to support the program’s size. The evaluation also included checking out the technology that’s available and safety issues.
Carrino and academy teacher Jeff Corliss worked for months with Barbara Donaghy, a supervisor in the district’s career and technical education division to prepare for the certification process.
“She put a lot of long hours and hard work, in helping us,” Carrino said. Community partners also stepped in to help.
The program had to meet the standards for 12 different categories, and there were subcategories for each standard, Carrino said.
“Besides the fact that it’s important for us to do it, it really became urgent for us to go through this process and get it done as quickly as possible,” she said. “We were losing funding for our kids.”
The certification was necessary for the school to qualify for state funding for the classes offered through the automotive academy.
When the school launched its program in 2009, it began in a classroom. Then it branched into an outdoor space, Donaghy said.
It didn’t open its permanent building until this past January, so it would not have been able to qualify for the certification until this year, Carrino said.
“Every year you reflect on, ‘What can I do to do better? What can I do to meet the needs of my students so they’ll be more successful?’” she said. “The NATEF standards and tasks are definitely going to deepen the learning and the skills, and also enhance the instructor’s ability to be a better instructor.”
Published July 23, 2014
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