Car trouble isn’t a good excuse for students in Bryan High School’s automotive technology program. These students are already becoming experts in the field. Their program will be honored at the Bryan ISD Board meeting Monday.
FOCUSED PRECISION – Bryan High auto tech students work under the hood of a vehicle during class.
At the end of last school year, the automotive training program received accreditation by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation in the categories of maintenance and repair.
The honor is the culmination of a rigorous evaluation by the foundation. The group performed a two-day evaluation based on hundreds of standards and curriculum measures. With the accreditation of an automotive training program comes credibility, prestige and recognition.
Hard Work
Nathan McCann, Bryan High School automotive technology instructor, has always spent his time ensuring the program improves, before accreditation and after.
Preparation for the evaluation started at the beginning of last school year and continued until the foundation’s evaluation team visited the school in the spring. McCann constantly goes through a self-evaluation checklist to make sure his students follow procedure.
Local Support
David Reynolds, Bryan ISD career & technical education director, was confident the automotive program was ready for the challenge of evaluation. He helped McCann bring in local industry experts to guarantee the program met the latest industry standards.
“Input from people who work in the auto field every day was invaluable,” Reynolds said. “It gave students real-world knowledge and helped prepare them for the strict standards of evaluation.”
HELPING HAND – Nathan McCann, automotive teacher, helps Bryan High senior Westen Weathers operate a tire changing machine.
Atkinson Toyota, Sterling Auto Group, Aggieland Automotive, Advanced Auto Repair, Tom Light Chevrolet and Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge all provided support to Bryan High’s auto program. Atkinson Toyota went so far as to supply parts for the program and aligned its knowledge with the curriculum Toyota uses to train its technicians.
Reynolds said industry support from around the community was vital to the program’s success. He said the auto program’s accredited status means many local shop owners will be assured of quality job applicants in the coming years.
Bright Future
Former National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation Chair Donald Seyfer agreed with Reynolds assessment. His organization is a non-profit, independent organization that evaluates and accredits entry-level technician training programs against standards developed by the automotive industry.
“As a result of the quality education provided by Bryan ISD, the motoring public will benefit since better repair technicians will join the workforce,” Seyfer said.
In addition to the program’s national accreditation, auto tech students had the opportunity to earn ASE Student Certification. An achievement that gives Westen Weathers, Bryan High senior, confidence about his future.
“Being certified will help me get a job because it will look good on my resume,” Weathers said. “Shops are looking for people who are already certified and know what they are doing.”
BRYAN ISD
Children First. Always.
About Bryan ISD Career and Technical Education:
Bryan High School’s automotive technology program is a division of Bryan ISD’s career and technical education department (CTE). By blending hands-on experience with rigorous academics, CTE prepares Bryan ISD students for an emerging global marketplace. The challenging courses help students identify career goals, determines the education necessary to achieve their pursuits and acquires marketable skills for post-graduation.
For more information about the Bryan ISD CTE Department, click here.
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