Las Cruces – A first-of-its-kind automotive repair competition will be held at the Doña Ana Community College (DACC) Espina Campus.
Contestants will demonstrate their knowledge and ability to perform jobs or skills at the 2018 DACC Automotive Skill Competition. Hosted by the DACC Automotive Technology Program, the competition will feature areas of automotive repair identified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. Students in automotive programs from area high schools and colleges are invited to attend and compete.
“This SkillsUSA type competition is open to students hoping to start their careers as automotive technicians,” said Wade Matthews, DACC Associate Professor of Automotive Technology. “The automobiles of today are nothing like those from 10 or 20 years ago, so technicians need to master skills some might not necessarily associate with the maintenance and repair of autos.”
In addition to knowing one’s way around a wrench, students need to master academic subjects to be effective in their automotive career including:
· Mathematics
· Science, and
· Language Arts
There will be testing in two areas; a comprehensive written exam and a skill performance demonstration.
The written examination consists of 100 questions covering eight automobile areas identified by national standards. Topics include engine repair, automatic transmission/transaxle, manual drive train and axles, suspension and steering, brakes, electrical/electronic steering, heating and air-conditioning, and engine performance.
The skill performance will include a series of work stations testing the proficiency of contestants in diagnosing and repairing vehicles in 15 different areas where students will document specific task criteria and perform the steps needed to complete the task.
In addition, an interpersonal skill station will challenge the future technicians in customer service and how to be successful in a job interview.
The competition will be held on Saturday, February 24 from 9 am to 3 pm. Please RSVP by February 16 or for further information contact Wade Matthews at wmatthews@dacc.nmsu.edu or (575) 527-7589.
Information from DACC