$50,000 in Funds Obtained for College to Provide Training in the Automotive Service Industry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: October 20, 2008

CONTACT: Lisa Saunders

(845) 574 - 4244

$50,000 in Funds Obtained for SUNY Rockland Community College
to Provide Training in the Automotive Service Industry

New hybrid 400-volt system can be lethal if handled improperly

Suffern, NY - SUNY Rockland Community College received a $50,000 grant to supply training to the automotive service industry - especially imperative since the new hybrid 400-volt system can be lethal if handled improperly.

The RCC Center for Personal & Professional Development received the funds from the State University of New York Community College Workforce Development Training Grants Program to upgrade skills for 220 automotive technicians and mechanics in the lower Hudson Valley region.

The grant will supply training in three different areas. The first part will supply training to new hires just starting in the automotive service industry. The SUNY Rockland Automotive Program will run classes in entry level skills, vehicle inspection, and customer relations.

The second part will provide update training to seasoned technicians. Aftermarket technicians need the skills upgrade to properly repair the new vehicles.  Most technicians work with 12-volt electrical systems, but the new hybrid vehicles have a 400-volt system that can be lethal to the technician if improperly handled.

The third area is to supply management training to the automotive service and automotive parts industry. A well run repair shop in this area is only about 60% productive.  The goal is to train service shops to be more productive.

Miele Auto Parts will work with RCC’s Automotive Program to reach out to the Rockland County Service industry and help with the developing of the training.

At the present, an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Automotive Technology offered at Rockland Community College prepares students to complete all the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) Standards. Students will also be prepared take all eight Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) tests to earn an ASE Master Technician certification. The A.A.S. degree gives the student the flexibility to be able to work as a technician or to continue their education to earn a bachelor’s degree in Automotive Business Management.

For more information about the SUNY Rockland Automotive Technology Program, contact Bill Baitzel, Coordinator/Assistant Professor, at 845-574-4592 or wbaitzel@sunyrockland.edu, or visit: http://www.sunyrockland.edu/go/auto.

###

Rockland Community College, a unit of the State University of New York, is located 25 miles northwest of NYC. The majority of its students transfer to four-year colleges, and many find immediate employment upon earning their associate's degree or certificate. The College also offers others, from preschoolers to senior citizens, the opportunity to simply learn something new. Quality education...at a price you can afford.