Questions and Answers
What are your commitments if you go through a dealer? What is the price difference? What about flexibility in the class and shop hours (a point that is important to me personally). Which are more respected when you apply for a job? So many questions so few answers. Basically which would you recommend and why?
More On Schools And Training
Q. Vince, I have another question for you. Which is a better place to learn the trade? Through one of the service schools or through a manufacture's program at a dealership.
Thanks a lot, I hope these questions are useful to others too.
ErikA. The type of school you decide to go to depends upon what your plans for the future are. If you wish to specialize in one make of car, then a dealership apprentice program would be best. At a dealership you will get specialized training in that particular manufacturers vehicles. If you want to generalize in all makes of cars, then a technical or trade school would be best.
Dealerships offer ongoing training throughout the year, paid for by the dealer and you will be paid for the classes you attend. In a general repair shop you won't get nearly all the training opportunities as a dealership and most times you will have to pay for it yourself and you will not be paid for the time spent in class. This is not a hard and fast rule for all general auto repair shops, but it's more common than not.
As an apprentice you will start at a lower pay scale then a line mechanic. And you'll probably do a lot of oil changes and other grunt work. But as your skill level increases, your pay and the quality of work assigned to you will improve.
As an apprentice, job scheduling will be up to the dealer. There is a contract that will specify how long you will work at the dealer. This is just about mandatory due to the very large investment by the dealership in your training.
Training classes are held during regular business hours and there is no flexibility here. Some classes can be as long as five days. There is even the good possibility the training center is not local and will require a stay in the area where the school is located. Food and lodging will be paid for by the dealership. I was fortunate enough to live in an area where most of the training schools I attended were fairly local, about a two hour drive, but I know some technicians who came from other states that had motel accommodations near the schools.
Technical and trade schools offer more flexible class times and may be your best bet. Of course the tuition would be up to you but they do offer government student loans to help. The advantage here is that you can keep your present job and still go to school. Once you complete the courses most schools have a placement service. If you go into a dealership, you will then go to their schools as they become available.
