GREENSBORO, N.C. — There's a national shortage of auto technicians, and repairs are taking longer.
Derek Morehead's high school automotive class helped determine his future in the auto industry. He says it started out just for fun, but he quickly became hooked.
However, these car classes are not widely available.
“There aren't as many automotive programs or high schools as there used to be. But from what I've seen and heard, there will be a resurgence, not only in the automotive field, but also in other aspects of career and technical education, such as carpentry and electronics.” It’s great,” Guilford Tech said. Community College Dean Jeff Faircloth;
The number of graduates completing automotive programs has decreased by 20% since 2020, according to the TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit organization that prepares students for professional engineering careers.
Now a first-year student at Guilford Technical College, Morehead is able to turn his passion into a career.
“It's important to be able to actually see what you're learning when you go to work,” Morehead says. “They definitely get more involved in class activities and ask more questions.”
Working part-time at Mercedes allows me to apply what I've learned in class.
“It's great to be able to balance school and work at the same time. So if I don't understand something, like when I'm at work, I can always come here and get a more detailed explanation than I would at work,” says Morehead. he said.
Faircloth added that the goal of GTCC's automotive program is not only to help students succeed, but also to help the local economy by placing students in the industry.
