The largest automotive tech competition in the state of Texas kicks off this Friday at the Texas Motor Speedway. The third-annual Auto Tech Competition, hosted by the North Texas Automobile Dealers (NTXAD), brings together the best automotive students from 40 high school students across North and East Texas. High school seniors will be competing as teams for scholarships and prizes. It's also an opportunity for students to launch a career in the automotive industry.
Training Tomorrow's Auto Techs
There is a growing demand for skilled automotive technicians according to NTXAD. The association says there are more than 80,000 openings across the country, thousands of those being in North Texas. One of the program's goals is to connect students with NTXAD-franchised new car dealerships. They pair them up and students are mentored for several weeks leading up to the competition. Students also receive training specific to the manufacturer’s equipment for the respective dealership.
“There is a shortage of qualified auto techs across North Texas, and NTXAD is working to create a pipeline of skilled technicians through our annual Auto Tech Competition and other educational programs,” said NTXAD Board Chairman Charlie Gilchrist. “As the technology for new cars has advanced, the need for highly skilled technicians has grown substantially. Automotive technology is a respected career field with high earning potential.”
NTXAD Education Committee Chairman Tony Pack added, “We are committed to providing a holistic education experience to help students develop both the technical and soft skills they will need to achieve a successful career in the automotive industry. During the competition, students are tested in numerous categories pertaining to vehicle service and diagnosis/repair, as well as job interview skills.”
Credit: NTXAD.
The event - which is not open to the public - takes place Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3 - at Texas Motor Speedway. Friday is Career Day with more than 700 students from area automotive technology programs invited to attend. On Saturday, students participating in the Auto Tech Competition will experience pace car rides around the Texas Motor Speedway track, sponsored by the North Texas Chevy Dealers.
Scholarships and Prizes
Members of the first, second and third-place winning teams will receive scholarships for NTXAD’s Fast Track Automotive Technician Training Program. It combines hands-on classroom instruction in conjunction with employment in a franchised new car dealership service center during a concentrated five-week training course. The scholarships are funded by the Carroll Shelby Foundation, created by legendary racer and automotive designer Carroll Shelby.
Members of each winning team will also receive thousands of dollars in tools from Snap-On to help them start their career. NTXAD says it's a huge perk, since auto techs are required to purchase their own tools.
The lead instructors for the winning teams aren't left out either -- they will receive gift cards.
The Auto Tech Competition is funded by NTXAD franchise dealerships and their participating brands, including Chevrolet, Ford, Gulf States Toyota, Toyota, Buick/GMC, Honda, Subaru, Kia and BMW. To learn more about career opportunities in automotive technology and the training/education programs available, visit www.autotecheducation.com.
About NTXAD
Founded in 2010, North Texas Automobile Dealers (NTXAD) is an industry trade association representing
215 franchise dealerships across 23 counties in North Texas. NTXAD’s franchise dealerships employ nearly 30,000 Texans and represent more than $17 billion in new and used car sales annually. NTXAD advocates on behalf its members and consumers with all branches of local, state and national government, car and truck manufacturers and media. In addition, through its apprenticeship program certified by the U.S. Labor Department, NTXAD works with local high schools and community colleges to provide valuable training and education so that students gain the work experience they need and can begin to earn a living wage with a career in the automotive industry. For more information, visit www.ntxad.com.