There are 210 million cars and light trucks registered in the United States but only about 400,000 certified automotive professionals to keep them running. To join this league, you need a good set of basic tools … and either personal ASE certification or the fact that you completed an ASE/NATEF-certified automotive technology program.

If you don’t know your ASE from a NATEF on the wall, download this article in .pdf format by former SkillsUSA New Mexico director Skip Saurman. An ASE-certified master automotive technician and NATEF evaluation team leader, he describes the history and four essential options of these certification programs.

Those letters stand for (the national institute for) Automotive Service Excellence and its nonprofit element, the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. Both are important signs to recognize — whether you work under the hood or you just get behind the wheel to go to work.

More than 100,000 jobs are open at auto dealerships nationwide, according to Automotive Retailing Today, a coalition of major manufacturers and dealer organizations. Its site www.autocareerstoday.org lists salaries and available training.

Get thinking now about SkillsUSA’s National Week of Service. For help with planning and carrying out your event, download the guide at:
www.skillsusa.org/events/service.shtml.