An investigation of the most important skills of the entry-level automotive student in Pennsylvania's District 1 SkillsUSA-VICA automotive programs.

摘要

The introduction of new technologies have made vehicles more complicated each year, this has caused the automotive industry to become extremely competitive. Without the proper skills and training, entry-level automotive technicians cannot survive in today's automotive industry. This study may assist automotive educators in refining their teaching materials, timetables, and strategies.;In this study the important skills needs for entry-level automotive technicians were examined using the ASE/NATEF program as a skill guideline. The focal geographic region of the study was District 1 in the Northeast region of Pennsylvania, which is one of eleven districts involved in the SkillsUSA-VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America). A survey was used to collect data from nine educators and eighteen craft committee members---one-half from the independent shops and one-half from dealerships.;Data were used to rank-order automotive areas and tasks (skills) within each area. This information may be used to form a consensus among vocational school programs about what is or is not important or relevant information for entry-level automotive technicians.;Further study in this research area could involve breaking tasks into more specific sub areas and ranking them according to importance to the entry-level automotive technician.