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Why earn your Auto Service Technician certificate?
What type of career can I expect?
What exactly will I learn?
I'm not yet working in the auto repair industry. Will this program get me there?
What about me? I'm still in high school but know this is the career I want.
How much will it cost? Can I afford to take this program?
Anything else I need to know?
I'm interested. What do I do next?
When should I apply?
Is there an upgrading policy?
I'm already working in the trade. Can I take an apprenticeship program?
I'm not sure that this program is for me. Can I speak with someone about my options?
Why earn your Auto Service Technician certificate?
You love to hear the roar of a perfectly fine-tuned engine and you also love to troubleshoot. You’ve got a knack for details, great patience, and you love the satisfaction of fixing problems. Working on vehicles, then, can work out to be the perfect career choice for you.
What type of career can I expect?
Because you get intense, hands-on training, as soon as you graduate from the Auto Service Technician program you will be ready to work in automotive dealerships, repair shops, fleet maintenance, and shops that specialize in exhaust, brakes, transmission/drive train, and tune-ups.
What exactly will I learn?
Your automotive training will follow a modular system that begins by developing a wide variety of basic skills. You’ll then build on these skills to develop the intermediate and specialized skills that are required in this industry.
Sample topics you’ll study include:
- Safe and effective work practices
- Using specialized equipment
- Servicing steering and suspension systems
- Servicing brake systems
- Performing engine service and repair
- Servicing engine support systems
- Servicing electrical systems
- Technical Communications 115 (three academic credits)
As your studies progress, you must show that you understand the theory by successfully completing a written test for each unit. Your learning materials may include printed handouts, worksheets, videotapes, display boards, lab manuals, and written instructions. Then, it’s up to you to apply your knowledge and demonstrate an acceptable level of practical skills that will be assigned in that unit. At regular stages throughout the program you will be required to move to a shop or lab area to perform various tasks in order to develop the practical skills being taught. As much as possible, study lab and shop instruction are patterned after “on-the-job” situations where a limited amount of direct supervision is required. All of your unit tests and assigned practicals must be completed with a passing grade before you write the final exam.
I’m not yet working in the auto repair industry. Will this program get me there?
Absolutely. With UFV’s entry-level training, we put you in the driver’s seat toward your career goal as an automotive technician. The Auto Service Technician program will totally prepare you for entry into the automotive service and repair industry. While in the program, you’ll get a systematic introduction to the trade and thorough hands-on opportunities to develop the skills expected by today’s employers. You’ll also have the chance to acquire a sound general knowledge of most systems used on cars and light trucks. Once you’ve successfully completed the program, you will have the option of advanced placement in the Auto Service Technician apprenticeship program. Our theory and shop procedures are set up to simulate job conditions, so your punctuality and good work habits are essential.
This program exceeds the provincial standards of Foundation and ELTT programs throughout B.C.
What about me? I’m still in high school but know this is the career I want.
UFV allows high school students to complete this UFV program through a concurrent studies model during their grade 12 year. For more information, contact your district/school career counsellor. You may also contact UFV's Trades & Technology Centre at 604-847-5448 or email trades@ufv.ca
How much will it cost?
Expect to pay program fees of about $115.01 per week; this covers tuition plus 10 per cent of the tuition for ancillary fees. As an Automotive Service Technician student, you should also budget about $625 for your basic hand tools, $625 for required textbooks and $250 for your working apparel. We require a deposit (currently $200) to be paid when you register, which typically takes place one or two months before the start of each semester. The balance of your fees must be paid by the second week of the semester.
In addition, each semester (fall, winter, and summer) you will be required to pay a $30 Student Union Society membership fee, a $35 SUS Building fee, $4.50 Cascade student newspaper fee, a $3 per semester radio station fee and a $40 U-Pass fee.. A Health and Dental fee ($160 for 2010/11) is charged annually each fall semester to students to provide extended medical and dental insurance. You can check with the Student Union Society or at www.IHaveAPlan.ca for details.
It’s also worth a visit to the UFV financial aid and awards office, which facilitates the disbursement each year of approximately $12 million in federal and provincial student loans, grants, bursaries, scholarships, and awards to UFV students. A helpful budget planning worksheet is available online at www.ufv.ca/fineaid/budget
Anything else I need to know?
Working on cars can be physically demanding and that’s why a medical statement from a qualified physician may be required at any time before or during the program. We’ll notify you if or when a statement is required. UFV’s Auto Service Technician program is delivered at the Trades & Technology Centre at the Canada Education Park in Chilliwack. It is open 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Classes and shops are in session from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. those days. You must be there continuously through both semesters to successfully complete all requirements for the program. You are expected to attend classes five days per week for the duration of the entire program. If you fail to meet the attendance requirements as outlined in the program guides, you might be subject to a failing grade or academic warning. It’s also expected that you complete all requirements with a minimum of 70 per cent or better to receive a Credit (CR) grade in order to graduate.
Sounds good. What do I need to get in?
You’ll need your B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent and must pass a math and reading comprehension entrance exam.
I’m interested. What do I do next?
Check out UFV’s online calendar at www.ufv.ca/calendar. Read the auto service technician program description and information carefully. If you wish to contact the instructor, call Dean Key at 604-847-5415 or email dean.key@ufv.ca Next, you can download an application form and submit it, along with the $45 application fee, to any UFV Admissions and Records office. You can also transmit it through the internet at www.pas.bc.ca.
If you’re currently in Grade 12, you can apply now, but we require a statement from your school counsellor or principal indicating that you are likely to meet graduation requirements by June, and this must be presented at the time of your entrance exam appointment. You will be notified of your entrance exam date by the Trades & Technology Centre and there is no fee for writing this exam. If you have not been contacted within two weeks of submitting your application, please call us at 604-847-5451. Before classes start, you’ll be called and given all the registration procedures. If we can’t reach you after three attempts, you’ll be removed from the waitlist.
When should I apply?
Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year. Qualified applicants are considered for the next intake in which there is space.
Is there an upgrading policy?
You have a busy life and we realize that. That’s where our upgrading program comes in. Our upgrading program allows you, if you’re currently or recently employed in the industry, to complete your certificate requirements or to become proficient in a specific process or technique. As an upgrading student, you are expected to meet program prerequisites through previous enrolment or proof of industry experience that must be approved by the program instructor. And while we’ll welcome you as an upgrading student, you cannot be enrolled for more than 13 weeks. It’s important to know that upgrading students cannot displace anyone registered in the next intake.
I’m already working in the trade. Can I take an apprenticeship program?
If you’re already working in the automotive repair industry and you’re registered with the Industry Training Authority (ITA), our Automotive apprenticeship program will help you further your career. UFV offers all four levels of technical training in six or seven week sessions. These intense technical training sessions will take you to your journeyperson certification and along the way will supplement your appropriate on-the-job training.
Can I speak with someone about my options?
Yes! We want to hear from you! If you’re unsure of your direction, contact Student Services at 1-888-504-7441, ext. 4528 to arrange a tour, attend a "Becoming a Student" info session, connect with an educational advisor, or arrange for career counselling. You can also contact the Trades and Technology centre directly at 604-847-5448 or email trades@ufv.ca to get more details.
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