High school students will be able to graduate with a certificate in auto maintenance and light repair, thanks to changes in Barton Community College’s automotive program, college trustees learned at a recent study session.
The certificate could help students get a job where they perform basic repairs such as oil changes, or it could be the first step toward becoming a Certified Automobile Service Technician or even a Master Service Technician, said Mary Foley, the college’s executive director of Workforce Training & Economic Development.
BCC and other community colleges create courses of study with approval of the Kansas Board of Regents. The automotive program went through KBOR revisions — known as realignment — a few years ago, but realignment is happening again. The changes are driven by the auto repair industry, Foley said. The National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation was founded in 1983 to improve the quality of automotive technician training programs nationwide.
Elaine Simmons, dean of Workforce Training & Economic Development at Barton, said the next program that will undergo the realignment process is the Medical Lab Technician program.
Commencement speakers
During the BCC Trustees study session, held Feb. 10 at the college, trustees also learned that Barton won’t seek a guest speaker for this year’s commencement ceremony. Instead, the Outstanding Graduates of 2015 will be given more time to speak.
The college has had a variety of guests speak at commencement over the years, including Gov. Sam Brownback.