Job Shop: Car Mechanic Job Training

Cypress - Mechanics are in demand despite the bad economy.  After all, your car doesn't take the job market into account when it breaks down!

JOHN ALEXANDER, INSTRUCTOR:
The volume of work has dropped a bit, but demand of technicians still is out there.

Perhaps that's why a program at Cypress College in partnership with Toyota may be so popular.

RICK LESTER, TECHNICIAN DEVELOPER:
T-TEN stands for "Technician Training and Education Network" and it's a partnership between Toyota Motor Sales and community colleges across the country.

The idea behind the T-TEN program is to give students a direct path from school to work.

They do a two-year internship while they go to school, and they get a job as an entry-level technician at local toyota dealers.

They are getting a lot of interest from war veterans, too.

CHRISTIAN DIERKER, STUDENT:
I was working with tools on tanks and I love cars, so I kind of put two and two together.

You don't have to be a guy to be a good mechanic, either!

NICOLLE HUNTINGTON, STUDENT:
Being trained here, you get more options to work at dealerships.

Typically, from year to year, the program sees about 80% placement out of programs. At Cypress College, the latest graduating class size is about 18... and 16 of them have already been employed.

You can get more information about the T10 program at Cypress College here.


Watch Christina Gonzalez's video report in the media player.