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4 | Transportation Today Wisconsin™                                                       Online Edition: www.transportationtodaywi.com

                   Beloit Memorial High School's Automotive Program is Racing Forward!

                                                                                  include work on fuel, emissions, heating   them.”  While  we  have  good  student  enroll-
                                                                                  and air conditioning, transmissions, steer-  ment numbers already, Guy is working to build
                                                                                  ing, and suspension systems.     the level of interest in this field whereby we
                                                                                   dual credit options are currently available   fill classes to capacity. “I’d like there to be a
                                                                                through the local technical college and are in   waiting list of interested students in the future”
                                                                                the developing stages with a technical institute   he stated.
                                                                                and  other  local  technical  colleges.  Multiple   The  facility  is  first-class,  with  eight  full
                                                                                industry certifications are also available as stu-  size service bays, an adjoining classroom, and
                                                                                dents  progress  through  our Auto  Technology   demonstration learning room. Since the fall of
                                                                                sequence, including ASE Entry Level certifi-  2007  our  automotive  shop  has  occupied  the
                                                                                cations  and  Snap-On  Scanner  certifications.   former Sears Automotive Center in the Eclipse
                                                                                Increased high school to college avenues and   Center  (former  mall).  We  are  fortunate  to  be
                                                                                professional certification opportunities for stu-  able to lease this classroom space from the prop-
                                                                                dents are currently in the development stage.  erty  management  company.  The  Automotive
                                                                                   The  successful  completion  of  the  three   Center is located directly across the rock river
                                                                                Auto Technology courses will prepare students   from the Beloit Memorial High School making
                                                                                                                   it accessible to any student taking these courses.









        School District of Beloit           pathway includes work-based learning oppor-
                                            tunities  such  as  job  shadows,  co-ops,  and
            Beloit Memorial High School's automo-  Youth  Apprenticeship  (YA).  The  following
        tive program is a NATEF certified program   courses in the automotive sequence are open
        which focuses on technical skills and has a   to all high school students in grades 9–12 and
        strong  emphasis  on  the  employability  skills   follow the 80/20 format of percent of time in
        that our students need in order to be success-  the shop to time in the classroom:
        ful in the workforce, regardless of the career
        path  that  they  choose.  New  instructor,  Guy   Intro to Automotive Technology — an entry
        olson  is  transforming  a  traditional  auto-  level course with an introduction to shop
        motive  program  into  an  industry-modeled   safety, shop operations, basic automotive
        learning program.                     repairs, and careers in the automotive
            Beloit Memorial is a Wall-to-Wall Career   industry
        Academy  comprehensive  high  school.  As   Automotive Technology 1, 2, and 3 —
        part of the PACMES (Public Safety, Automo-  courses progress from fundamentals of
        tive, Advanced Manufacturing, Construction,   modern day automotive technical servic-
        and  Engineering  academy),  the  Automotive   ing to advanced engine performance that   for an entry-level automotive technician posi-
                                                                                tion. 10th grader Ash C. stated, “My plan is to   It is an impressive facility by any standards!
                                                                                take all four classes, earn certification, and then   recent  updates  within  the  program
                                                                                try to get a job at a dealership.”  include a new tire balancer, new tire mounting
                                                                                   In  addition  to  skill  development  in   machine as well as vehicle diagnostic scanners.
                                                                                automotive  repairs  on  vehicles  that  serve  as   Planned for the start of the 2023-24 school year
                                                                                learning  modules,  our  instructor,  Guy  olsen,   is a top of the line Snap-on Zues diagnostic
                                                                                operates  the  program  as  a  fully  functional   scanner that has intelligent diagnostics to inter-
                                                                                automotive shop; every student isn’t going to   face  with  diagnostic  scanners  in  the  industry
                                                                                become a mechanic but may still be in the auto-  through  a  nationwide  network.  The  scanner
                                                                                motive  field.  Students  learn  workforce  skills   also has bluetooth capabilities so the diagnos-
                                                                                starting with a Point of Purchase and Service   tic readings can be projected onto a classroom
                                                                                Area  where  they  create  work  orders,  order   screen so each student is involved in the learn-
                                                                                parts,  schedule  and  confirm  service  appoint-  ing experience.
                                                                                ments, track progress, complete and organize   Future plans include painting the shop and
                                                                                work  order  documentation,  and  demonstrate   creating videos that brand our program BMHS
                                                                                customer  service  skills  as  they  work  with   Motor  Sports  and  also  showcasing  the  many
                                                                                customers from the drop-off to pick-up of the   opportunities  our  program  offers.  In  looking
                                                                                customer vehicle. This provides real-life learn-  for ways to continually build the program, Guy
                                                                                ing opportunities that prepare the students for   is looking to add electric vehicle service and a
                                                                                multiple jobs in the automotive repair industry.  drag racing club (he is a drag racer in his spare
                                                                                   Carlos A.,  a  12th  grader  in Auto  Tech-  time) where students would work on the drag
                                                                                nology  1,  states  that  “This  provides  REAL   cars during the school year and be a part of a
                                                                                hands-on experience of what it is like to work   drag racing team crew in the summer.
                                                                                in a shop. We interact with the customers with
                                                                                the whole process of ordering parts, working   www.sdb.k12.wi.us
                                                                                on  their  vehicle,  and  then  delivering  it  to
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