Vroom!
Evolution of cars drives changes in automotive training
California car culture. Despite the escalating cost of gas, Angelenos still love their automobiles and spend hours and hundreds of dollars maintaining them. If you want a steady job with significant economic potential, then being the person who these auto lovers bring their vehicles to for repairs and upkeep will put you on the road to success.
But do not expect to work in the auto mechanic shop of the olden days—with grease spilled everywhere and learned-on-the-job repair knowledge the order of the day. That is not to say that auto mechanic shop does not still exist to some degree, but the increased computerization of contemporary automobiles has necessitated a change in repair shops as well.
Today, people working as automotive service technicians (instead of mechanics) need to have broad knowledge of how vehicles’ complex components work and interact, and must also be able to work with electronic diagnostic equipment as well as digital manuals and reference materials.
The number of jobs in this industry is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations over the next decade, according to the United States Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Outlook Handbook. In fact, the DOL found that employment of auto service technicians and mechanics will increase 16 percent between 2006 and 2016 compared to 10 percent for all other occupations.
DOL also noted that the job growth will continue to be concentrated in automobile dealerships and independent repair shops, which together account for about 29 percent of those employed. Nearly 17 percent of service technicians were self-employed.
The median annual earnings in dealerships is about $18.85 per hour, and in independent shops it is about $14.55 an hour. The rest of these workers are employed by the government ($19.07 an hour); automotive parts, accessories and tire stores (seven percent at about $14.38 per hour); and gasoline stations at about $14.51 per hour.
In the Los Angeles area, there are a number of locations which provide job training for automotive service technicians/mechanics. Twenty-six high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District offer education that ranges from classes to full programs. Carson, Dorsey, Fairfax, Fremont, Hamilton, Jefferson, Manual Arts, Venice, and Westchester are among the local schools with programs.
Seven community colleges in the region provide automotive training. These range from the Southland Center for Transportation Technologies at Cerritos College to Los Angeles Trade Technical College’s four-path program (collision repair and refinishing, auto and related technology, diesel truck and heavy equipment, and motorcycle repair).
The other two-year colleges with programs are Compton, East Los Angeles, Los Angeles City, Long Beach City, Pierce, El Camino, Rio Hondo, and Pasadena.
There are also six community adult schools or regional occupational centers offering training, including Fremont-Washington Community Adult School and Abram Friedman Occupational Center.
One nonprofit organization, the Los Angeles Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, provides a short-term Automotive Quick Change course to people age 17 and older. This prepares students to become lube center technicians.
Finally, there are a number of privately-run programs that offer training for a fee. These include the American Auto Institute and Intech College.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped to its lowest amount since Feb. 1 today, decreasing four-tenths of a cent to $3.954.
The average price has dropped 47 times in 48 days, falling 34.6 cents over that span, including seven-tenths of a cent on Sunday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
The National Regulatory Research Institute’s October 2012 report, “The Role of Natural Gas in California’s Climate Policy,” stated: “As California transitions its energy infrastructure to one that is more environmentally friendly, natural gas holds promise as a fuel that can complement the state’s cap-and-trade program, energy-efficiency measures, and transition to renewables.”
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa urged Angelenos to report potholes in their neighborhoods in preparation for a two-day blitz next month, when crews will be dispatched with orders to fix 20,000 of them.
"Starting today, I want to encourage Angelenos to call 311 and report pothole locations in your
neighborhoods," Villaraigosa said, arguing that "the condition of our street network affects the quality of life for every Angeleno.''
Oil! Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole ... —my favorite grade school poem, “Invictus,” says.
Remembrances of youth and a different world.
That one was of danger, dodging and possibilities. This one is of earthquakes, nuclear surprises, uprisings, and oil ascending, as all or most of us are still trying to make ends meet and keep food on the table.
Southern California Edison recently joined the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) to launch GoElectricDrive.com EDTA’s new comprehensive website that provides consumers with information about buying, owning, and driving plug-in electric vehicles.
On the new website, consumers can calculate savings, find incentives, learn about the environmental benefits of owning an electric car, and view some of the new plug-in electric vehicles available or coming soon to auto showrooms.
