The Relationship of Academic Courses to Skills Required of Automobile Repair Technicians

Transcription

1 1 The Relationship of Academic Courses to Skills Required of Automobile Repair Technicians Stephen Freund The primary objective of this project was to relate the need and the importance of academic skills, obtained through general education coursework, to the effectiveness and efficiency of the automobile repair technician s expertise in his or her employment. I communicated with 35 randomly selected and cooperative employers from the bi-state (Missouri and Illinois) area. I accomplished the contacts through a personal visit to their locations and performed an interview with the appropriate manager. Next, I listed and assessed the employee requirements that the employers conveyed to me. In addition, I noted the objectives of the academic courses included in the technical programs at 19 educational institutions. I then compared the employers needs with the educational institutions offerings. I judged and analyzed these findings in accordance with the national WorkKeys research tools that are indicated in the following competencies at the various levels: Applied Math Observation Applied Technology Locating Information (WorkKeys, the foundation of the National Career Readiness Certificate, is a job skill assessment system that helps employers select, hire, train, develop, and retain a high-performance workforce. Its website is: Introduction and Background During the early development of the United States, essential advancements in transportation improved both the economy and lives. In the beginning, the horse had multiple purposes. While many people chose simply to ride the animal outfitted with a saddle and a bridle, others harnessed it to a wagon or to a stagecoach. As a result, the horse transported people, supplies, and communications. In addition, the population started dirt roads and a railroad system. The invention of the bicycle partially spurred an interest in more and better roads (Bellis, n.d., p. 2). In cities residents employed railroad technology by putting down tracks in the streets and having horses pull horse cars along them. With the cars running on rails, the horses pulled large loads of several passengers and provided the primary mode of mass transportation. Individuals conceived the cable car, electric streetcar or trolley, trackless coach, elevated train, and subway systems (New York Transit Museum, 2010, pp. 1-2). This progress facilitated the growth of the city by enabling a worker to live in a location far from a job and to make use of various sites for entertainment and shopping. Quicker, easier, and more comfortable travel as well as reasonably priced fares benefited the inhabitants and the visitors. In the early part of the 20th century, Henry Ford s ability to develop an affordable, mass produced vehicle gave people wide-ranging freedom and mobility (Brinkley, 2003, p. 113). The automobile changed their lives substantially. Progress expanded urban areas, and those

2 2 individuals living in rural regions found the city and all that it had to offer finally accessible to them (Schultz, n.d., p. 7). In most cities, buses eventually replaced trolley cars. In addition, people designed and built a system of surfaced roads, highways, and interstate highways throughout the nation. As a result, individuals commenced traveling comfortably and swiftly from place to place across the states by car, motorcycle, or bus. The creation of many new businesses and jobs: motor vehicle sales, gas stations, repair shops, and construction represented another effect of the automobile, as well as other motor vehicles (Bottorff, n.d., p. 6). For the most part, capable artisans made possible the rapid progress in the development of the United States. As the colonies grew, those individuals who earned their living as village blacksmiths shoed horses; shaped other metal objects and tools such as wheels, plows, hammers, nails, and knives; and repaired items for the townspeople or the farmers. The blacksmith utilized his critical skills in other situations like shipbuilding, logging, and equipping the war effort. While early blacksmiths developed the ability to work in every area of their profession, eventually many of them specialized in just one of several fields as a locksmith, a gunsmith, or a farrier. Over time, blacksmiths used different processes to improve steel and metal, and modern manufacturers still utilize these high quality developments (Allen, 2008, p. 3). Then with progress, factory-made goods took business away from the blacksmiths because people purchased the mass produced items at a cheaper price. At the same time, motor vehicles replaced the horse in the transportation of people, supplies, and communications. Consequently, the village blacksmith adapted his expertise to a new profession. Some maintained the manufacturing equipment in the factories; others repaired motor vehicles or welded iron. As previously stated, automobiles replaced horse drawn vehicles, and workers like the blacksmith learned a new skill. One line of work that came into existence was the tradesman who could maintain and repair those early motor vehicles. As individuals expanded the number of cars on the road, this growth increased the need for mechanics and for body shop repairpersons. In earlier years, many people did their own mechanical work; now few follow this practice (Stein, 2007, p.1). The vehicles of today have more complex computer and electronic components, and these technological advances require an increasing level of expertise as well as the use of special tools and costly equipment. The automobile repair technician is the result of a higher level of education and skills in the automobile mechanic or the body shop repairperson (Bureau of Labor Statistics, , p. 1). Problem Statement As the United States entered the 20th century, the Industrial Revolution rapidly gained momentum. The school system realized the importance of supporting industry by preparing secondary level students with related education. In1904 Charles Richards who was then editor of Manual Training Magazine proposed the term industrial arts. At the time he suggested the name, Richards was writing an editorial with the intent to alter the focus of education as it applied to training those individuals who were seeking employment requiring manual labor. Richards contended that this new educational field should have the study of industry at its core. Since the concept seemed plausible, the majority of the school districts in America eventually adopted industrial arts courses as a subject area available to students. Although the recognition and the direction in this field of study remained satisfactory for a while, by the late 1920s, industrial leaders began promoting the idea that focusing on industry yielded education would become too limited. They advocated that the advancing area of technology would provide a broader base of study and would offer more suitability for future pursuits in education. A recognizable transition

3 3 of this sort would not actually secure favorable reception until the decade of the 1970s, and a conceptual transformation from industrial arts to technology education would not gain momentum until early in the decade of the 1980s (Litowitz, Lens, & Warner, 2008). In 1986, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its book, The Integration of General and Technical and Vocational Education, emphasized that technical and vocational education should be a comprehensive term. The following excerpt elaborates on the preparation that should continuously be in place for the benefit of educational systems and society: Given the necessity for new relationships between education, working life, and community as a whole, technical and vocational education should exist as part of a system of lifelong education adapted to the needs of each particular country. This system should focus on: abolishing barriers between levels and areas of education, between education and employment, and between school and society through: the integration of technical and vocational and general education in all educational structures above primary level; the creation of open and flexible educational structures; the taking into account of individuals educational needs and the evolution of occupations and jobs; improving the quality of life by permitting the individual to expand his intellectual horizons, to acquire insight, and to constantly improve professional skills and knowledge while allowing society to utilize the fruits of economic and technological change for the general welfare. (pp. 9-10) Purpose of this Study The primary objective of this proposed project is to relate the need and the importance of academic skills, obtained through general education coursework, to the effectiveness and efficiency of the automobile repair technician s expertise in his or her field of employment. An example of this skill would be the need for a technician to complete repair estimates or reports that the supervisor or customer would view. The completion of an English Composition course could contribute to the ability to write and to communicate this information more effectively. The research questions for this study are as follows: RQ1: What educational needs, if any, do employers perceive their automobile repair technicians require for an improved training program? RQ2: How important is it for the employee in the automotive repair (physical and mechanical repair to cars and light trucks) profession to have more than a technically-specific education in order to be thoroughly effective for his or her employers? RQ3: What, if any, academic skills are lacking? Importance of the Study This proposed project merits accomplishment because it will investigate the skill set that employees require in the field of automobile repair technology. The primary investigator will examine the relationship of academic courses to the skills that are required of automobile repair technicians. I will accomplish this undertaking by obtaining curriculums (the set of courses and their descriptions) from technical colleges and departments and comparing this information with data from employers who will be opining their occupational needs. Armed with this information, the technical colleges or departments contacted may compare these requirements with their curriculum offerings. The intended outcome will be the student possessing mastery of his or her occupation through the means of a more comprehensive program that the providing educational

4 4 institutions will realize and will deliver. Due to this process, the enriched technical degree will better meet the needs of the employer. Limitations of Study The focus of this study is the comprehensive set of skills the automobile repair technician will need to be both effective and efficient in the work environment. The developing technology used in future models of cars and light trucks will determine the limitations I face. Various concepts for alternative sources of power in automobiles have caused much speculation for decades. However, in the United States, as well as in other developed nations that have widespread automobile usage, technological preparation has no clearly defined future direction. Thus, colleges are in a predicament. They cannot determine modifications such as the general education courses needed to strengthen their automotive technology curriculum (Barger, 2004, p. 1). This research does not assess the technical aspects of the study in automobile repair technology and its possible shortcomings. Nor does it examine the instructional practices employed by instructors who teach the strictly technical elements of a program. Instead, the study focuses on the need for integration of the elements with the attributes of general education coursework. The benefits derived by the employers, the educational institutions, and the students, who will become future employees, are the end result sought. Conclusion It is important for employers in the automotive repair industry to understand that my research creates the opportunity for them to derive future benefits through potentially positive changes in the automobile technicians education. The growing relationships that academic courses have to the skills required of automobile repair technicians are a result of the ever increasing complexity of this occupational area and the level of technology that continues to escalate. I have the responsibility to inform employer representatives of the advantages in recruiting automobile repair technicians who possess a diverse set of skills due to the need for a comprehensive technical education in this area. My research project has also opened up communication channels and enabled me to obtain a greater amount of information that I will be able to convey to the educational institutions. Upon analyzing the results of my expository study, the schools may examine the effectiveness of their programs and make revisions in order to meet the requirements of their students and ultimately the employers in automobile repair establishments. References Allen, D. G. (2008, December). Blacksmithing history part 1. Retrieved on November 13, 2009, from Appalachian Blacksmiths Association, website: Barger, R. N. (2004, June). Manual training movement. Retrieved on November 14, 2009, from History of American Education Web Project, website: Bellis, M. (n.d.). Automobile history: The history of cars and engines. Retrieved on March 4, 2010, from

5 5 Bottorff, W. W. (n.d.). What was the first car? A quick history of the automobile for young people. Retrieved on March 4, 2010, from Brinkley, D. (2003). Wheels for the world: Henry Ford, his company, and a century of progress. United States of America: Viking. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (edition ). Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on October 16, 2010, from Litowitz, M. L., Len, S., & Warner, S. A. (2008, March). Technology education: a contemporary perspective. Phi Delta Kappan, 89.7, 519(3). Retrieved on September 26, 2009, from New York Transit Museum. (2010). History of public education in New York City [Teacher resource center]. Retrieved on March 7, 2010, from Schultz, S. K. (1999). The politics of prosperity: The 1920s (H102 Lecture 15). Retrieved on October 16, 2010, from University of Wisconsin-Madison, website: Stein, M. (2007, February). Careers: Jobs by description. Automotive service technician job description. Retrieved from Service-Technician-Job-Description/Page1.html United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. (1986). The Integration of general and technical and vocational education (Number. TD/TNC ). Stephen Freund, Doctoral Program Student Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership Lindenwood University, 4800 Kerth Drive St. Louis, MO SHF279@lionmail.lindenwood.edu Presented at the Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, Lindenwood University, St. Louis, MO, September 21-23, 2011