CTE STUDENTS ACHIEVE ASE AUTO CERTIFICATION
(CLARE) – Twenty-three Auto Technology students recently gained certification through the Automotive Service Excellence test for electrical and electronic systems. More than 80 percent of the high school students, enrolled through the Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District’s Career & Technology Education program, passed the test to achieve certification.
The CTE Auto Tech students took the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) test for electrical/electronic systems in early January. Instructor Rich Hollister was impressed with the results.
“The student ASE testing is a very hard test, and unlike any other test platform that these students have ever had,” Hollister said. “Not only does it test the students on the area of automotive repair that they have been studying, it also tests each student’s ability to problem solve. The technology of the modern automobile is complicated, and to repair it properly, a technician has to have very good math skills and the ability to follow a flow chart.
“The students perform tests using computerized equipment reading data and comparing to what the data should read,” he added. “Then they determine a corrective action to make the repair. In order to properly diagnose and repair a fault with a vehicle, it takes a special type of problem solving skills to determine the correct repair is performed.”
For students, ASE Student Certification can be thought of as the first step in building a career as a service professional by providing them with their first industry-recognized certification through ASE. Student certification is valid for two years from the date of the exam. The testing program’s independent assessment is a particularly valuable tool for instructors and administrators who are working to respond to today’s increasing demands for measurable outcomes and accountability.
“I am very proud of this group of students,” Hollister said. “They have all worked very hard to pass this test, and it shows with an 80% pass rate, which is nearly double of some previous years. This group of students will be a great asset to the workforce in the near future, and with the demand for certified automotive technicians being so high, they will definitely find gainful employment when they graduate.”
Added Para-Educator Suzanne Ledford: “We have a great group of kids this year, so I wasn’t surprised they did so well. They worked hard and their efforts paid off.”
Students earning certification include Zach Bowers, Max Crafard, Devun Grein, Christian Kuhns, Matt Shaw and Connor Vanbuskirk of Clare; Corbin Brewer, Cody Coburn and Jeffery Lawrence of Farwell; Brandon Cergnul, Sulley Cousineau, Austin Currier, Travis Krueger, Ronnie Richardson, David Sturgeon and Carlos Zieroff of Beaverton; Brandon Pahl, Josh Pate, Aaron Pohl and Dylan Worden of Gladwin; Zach Hillier and Max Taylor of Harrison; and Dakota Burgess of Coleman.