| Only one thing is certain in technical education. That | | | | waterborne paints, hybrid cars. And now, they even |
| absolute certainty is change. If career and technical | | | | have cars that will tell you where to turn or if your |
| education institutions are going to prepare students | | | | lost, and even parallel park for you. In fact, by 2012, |
| for tomorrow's jobs, they must adapt to the | | | | the average vehicle will have (14) airbags and (11) |
| changes in technology. The old method of learning a | | | | computers. |
| trade from the "old school" or traditional ways will | | | | This requires much more knowledge, skills and the |
| leave tomorrow's employees behind. For many years | | | | ability to comprehend all the different repair methods |
| a lot of trades could be copied and repeated over | | | | to properly repair the vehicle to pre-accidental |
| and over. | | | | condition. It's easy to figure out that a hammer and |
| For example, in auto collision repair, the same | | | | dolly are not going to fix all the repairs needed these |
| methods were used for years to straighten damaged | | | | days. Who knows what the collision repair business |
| metal back to its original shape. Then lacquer paint | | | | will look like in twenty years from now. It's clear the |
| consisting of only a few basic colors, were used to | | | | "just like learning how to ride a bike" concept will not |
| paint the vehicle back to its original color. While some | | | | work for current and future technical education |
| of the old techniques are still very effective, the | | | | institutions. If you step out of the industry for a long |
| industry has made major changes. Plastic body fillers | | | | period of time, you're not going to be able to jump |
| were introduced to take the place of lead filler; MIG | | | | back in and continue where you left off. How busy |
| welders took the place of oxyacetylene welding and | | | | would a carburetor specialist be in a dealership; or |
| brazing, enamel replace lacquer paints, and urethane | | | | how effective would an executive assistant be using |
| replace enamel paints. These are slight changes that | | | | only a typewriter in today's working world? |
| could simply be called improved methods. | | | | The future is calling for more diversified technicians |
| However, in the last 15 to 20 years we have plastic | | | | than ever before. If we are going to prepare |
| parts, aluminum parts, unibody construction in addition | | | | students for a technical career we must teach them |
| to full frame vehicles, computerized cars with sensors | | | | the many skills required, but more importantly we |
| requiring the technician to be more knowledgeable | | | | must teach them how to learn to learn, because the |
| about electrical systems, air bags, base coat clear | | | | fast paced changes are a never ending process. |
| coat finishes, three stage factory finishes, | | | | |