FutureTech Blog

Got parent problems? We get it. You’ve done your research, you know technical school is your best path to a hands-on career you are passionate about it—you’ve made your decision… but your parents don’t see it that way.

Don’t worry: You’re not alone. 

We talk to plenty of tech grads whose parents were once pressuring them to pick a traditional four-year college, but they decided to have those tough conversations to get their parents on board and get into tech school and launch their dream careers. 

In the past, students who are nontraditional learners have faced challenges in typical school environments. But in recent years, many more opportunities have become available to these students. One such opportunity is trade school, which allows them to gain skills needed in diverse fields including transportation, tech, healthcare, hospitality, and culinary arts.

Vocational programs also tend to match the learning styles of students with dyslexia, ADHD, high-functioning Asperger’s, ADD, and auditory processing challenges. These learners have a 23 percent higher completion rate in trade schools than traditional four-year colleges.

The age of the driverless vehicle is upon us. Auto dealers, trucking companies, and tech powerhouses have all thrown their hats in the ring. Established brands such as Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and Daimler AG live alongside upstarts such as Google, Cruise, Apple, Waymo, Tesla, and Uber.

Today’s auto techs are as much IT specialists as hands-on repair people. This should not come as a surprise, considering the average car rolling off the assembly line runs on as many as 100 million lines of code, and the Ford F-150 pickup boasts a whopping 150 million!

A successful automotive technology professional needs skills that go beyond identifying the cause of a ping, thump, or ticking noise under the hood. In addition to technical mastery, a  skillful auto expert has the ability to accurately analyze the situation and be up on the latest tech that makes cars go, all the while putting the customer at ease. 

Here are four skills that an automotive tech should have at the ready.

In today’s world, if you love cars and motorcycles, you can easily turn your passion into a lucrative and successful career. Once stigmatized as grease monkey on the bottom rung of the job ladder, careers in the transportation field have experienced continued growth and are fast becoming a desirable place to work with all sorts of advanced technology.

Are your friends busy applying to traditional, four-year colleges? Does that sound completely unappealing to you? If the idea of sitting in a crowded lecture hall sounds like something meant for someone else’s life and makes you want to forget the whole thing, you’re not alone.

In education, one size doesn’t necessarily fit all. A traditional, four-year college may be a great place for some students, but if your child enjoys working with their hands or has a learning difference such as ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc., a technical college may be a better fit.

TechForce Foundation is attending the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Regional Fall Meet in Hershey, PA from October 10 to 13, 2018. Attendance is free. Scroll down for event information. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram this week for live updates from the event. 

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