Abilene Automotive Education Alliance partners with Cisco College

Cutting-edge technical training and career development comes to the Big Country

Cisco College was awarded a grant to incorporate Virtual Reality technology into their curriculum and is partnering with local automotive businesses to provide an exciting new educational opportunity in Abilene. The VR Automotive Training Program is designed to train students with the applicable skills they need to be successful in the automotive industry. The first class will begin in November, so those interested are encouraged to apply immediately.

The VR Automotive Training program is a six-month course using Virtual Reality technology to teach the anatomy of a vehicle, and common parts and tools, as well as foundational repair and maintenance skills. Students will put these skills to practice in a real-world environment as an apprentice at one of the partnering automotive businesses that make up the Abilene Automotive Education Alliance (AAEA): Arrow, Lawrence Hall, Lithia, Proctor Automotive, and Star.

This outstanding opportunity has removed many of the barriers commonly experienced by someone looking to go back to school or change careers. The Cisco College VR Automotive Training program is grant funded, meaning the student incurs no tuition costs, and the apprenticeship is a paid position, allowing the student to continue to provide for themselves and their families during the transition.

Those who are ready to start their career as an automotive technician should contact Roy Call at Cisco College to learn more about the program and schedule their mechanical aptitude assessment required for admission.

Roy Call
Workforce & Public Services Chair, Cisco College
Phone: (325) 794-4411
Email: roy.call@cisco.edu

The Cisco College VR Automotive Training program is the latest achievement of the AAEA. The AAEA was founded in October of 2017 to bring leadership and real-world relevance to curriculum to prepare students to enter the automotive industry. There is a shortage of qualified automotive technicians locally as well as nationally, and the AAEA member businesses have taken the initiative to train automotive technicians right here in the Big Country. The AAEA collaborates with Abilene ISD and higher education institutions including Cisco College and TSTC to grow our workforce and meet the automotive needs of our community.

The Abilene Automotive Education Alliance or AAEA for short was founded in October, 2017.

The objective was to create a partnership between Abilene's automotive business community and the Abilene Independent School District, Cisco College, and TSTC, to bring leadership and real world relevance to the curriculum in order to produce passionate and prepared students to enter the automotive workplace.

The inaugural meeting on October 19th consisted of automotive business leaders who, through common cause, discuss the need to bring relevance, collaboration, and real-world guidance to the classrooms of the its academic partner's automotive programs. They committed not only to provide financial support to the program, but also internships and mentor-ship to the students. Through the leadership of its Chairman Paul Bounds and Vice Chairman Eric Kuhns the AAEA reached out to industry and academic leaders in an effort to identify the best way forward in an effort not to waste resources, but to emulate already existing successful programs, like those in Houston and New Mexico. They then reached out to the AISD and it's Abilene High/ Cooper Automotive instructor, Will Kirby, to begin the process of identifying specific needs of his program.

The AAEA raised over $6,000 for equipment. Their goal was to completely reorganized the automotive classroom work space. Volunteers from the 7th Vehicle Readiness Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base led by Senior Master Sgt. Kuhns disposed of all the antiquated parts and equipment, as well as hazardous waste.

Identifying the tools needed to provide basic training needs. The AAEA, through team Dyess, bought and/or refurbished six working stations equipped with foam lined toolboxes stocked with sockets, wrenches, impacts and other necessary tools. They reorganized parts inventory storage areas as well as large tool and parts storage areas. After completely cleaning out the shop they refurbished and painted all of the workbenches and completed the update with adding epoxy to the floors.

With money to spare the AAEA is now looking for six computers to provide the students with the necessary tools to diagnose and repair the automotive vehicles of the 21st century. AAEA is also looking for simulators and equipment that can provide hands-on experience for basic maintenance repairs such as brake and rotor repair, AC/Freon repairs, engine and transmission flush repairs and more. They are also providing current engines, transmissions, and other components for student tear down and reassembly lab work.

With the renovations complete the AAEA is now reaching out to Cisco College and TSTC to establish pathways from high school to post-secondary training in order provide a more prepared student. These initial pathways will focus on technical certificates such as ASE's as well as dual credit opportunities to reduce the overall cost of the student's educational process. Initial thoughts of the alliances to expand the pathway process to include support and leadership training. The auto industry not only needs technicians, but service advisors, parts advisors, and parts and service managers to provide for the automotive consumers' needs in an ever-changing world. These pathways will focus on the entrepreneurial spirit, customer service, and conclude with an associate's degree. In today's age of acceleration post-secondary training will be extremely advantageous to the success of the industry both from a technical and leadership perspective.

In addition the AAEA plans to bring even further real-world experience to the student through a concept called "business within a school". By connecting with other disciplines within the academic partner's such as accounting and marketing, the AAEA hopes to ingrain the concept of entrepreneurship and the creation of business models in the students' psyche. Dealers will bring to the classroom current models for students to do actual repairs. In an effort to provide the student with a business profit and loss mentality. Customers will be sought after through marketing programs, inventory control, and profit and loss statements will be created through the accounting disciplines in schools. Vehicles will go through the same process as in any shop. The student will initiate a repair order for the primary concerns which will provide training for non-technical students in the area of service advising and management. The technician (student) will then do the repairs and document the repair order charging out the parts and labor, relieve parts inventories, and identify a profit loss from the repair. In a complete environment a monthly profit and loss statement would be produced to provide the student with an understanding of not only technician pay plans but overall company profits.

The AAEA believes that mentorship and internships play a key role in the success or failure of the automotive curriculum. They also hope to not only to assist in the training of the student, but also provide them with role models to inspire success. In much the same way that a sports scouts searches out great players owners and service managers will meet members of the automotive classrooms in search of great recruits. Whether those recruits are technical or support in nature they hope to provide a solid introduction into the opportunities in the automotive industry sector.

Helping students achieve their passion and goal is the ultimate goal of the AAEA. To that end they hope to establish a scholarship fund to assist students who pursue certifications and associate's degrees in the automotive industry. The scholarship funds will be for post-secondary education whether that course be taken in high school through a dual credit program or in the post-secondary arena.

Since its inception the alliance has reached out to others in the industry and community. The Abilene Automotive Educational Alliance now includes the following additional members: Matt Goehring (Dyess Air Force Base), Will Kirby (AISD/instructor), Ryder Appleton (AISD/CTE Director), Shanna Kevil (Arrow Ford) Trennon Cauthen (Arrow Ford), Billy Martin (Napa) and Rebecca Pons (New Mexico Junior-College).

The AAEA believes that it is their responsibility to lead the development of the pathways needed to ensure a strong automotive sector which can provide a quality workforce for the Abilene and Big Country communities. They also realize this can only be done through a collaborative effort between educators, students, and parents.