Become a Toyota Expert with the Automotive Service Technician Toyota Apprenticeship

The Toyota Motor Corporation is the world’s largest automobile maker by sales and production. That means two things. First, Toyota is constantly creating new vehicles, upgrading current ones and sitting at the forefront of innovation. Second, with sales as high as they are, there are clearly many Toyota vehicles on the road. These vehicles sometimes break down or have accidents and Automotive Service Technicians are needed to fix them. This is where it becomes obvious that professionals trained at an Automotive Service Technician Toyota Apprenticeship have an advantage.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job growth in Automotive Service Technology to grow by 14 percent from 2006 through 2016, with increased job opportunities at dealerships, such as Toyota. The Toyota Automotive Service Techs must be able to diagnose problems using Toyota diagnostic equipment and perform repairs and preventive maintenance on engines, transmissions, electrical systems, brakes and tires. Technicians also conduct vehicle inspections. Technicians should have good customer service and communication skills as well as computer proficiency as many of today’s car models have a computer system within them. Another quality that a Toyota Automotive Service Technician should possess is the ability to work with his or her hands and have enough stamina to be under the car, bending over the hood or in other such positions for extended periods of time.

Centennial College’s one-year Automotive Service Technician Toyota Apprenticeship is designed for those students who have a particular desire to work with this specific company. The training focus is, therefore, on Toyota’s latest technologies and is more in-depth with longer in-school sessions than traditional apprenticeships. Emphasis is placed on electronics and the diagnosing of computerized control systems. However, students also learn all aspects of vehicle technology. They get to work on different vehicle systems such as electrical, body electrical, engine, transmission, steering, front-end, and all other aspects that would allow a Toyota vehicle to be serviced. Every eight weeks, the students in this Modified Apprenticeship alternate between the college and their employer. This occurs for a total of 64 weeks, during which they are paid for the apprenticeship aspect. Upon successful completion, students will complete on-the-job experience with their Toyota dealership employer. Another appealing aspect of the Automotive Service Technician Toyota Apprenticeship program is that students may be eligible for Employment Insurance during the in-class training.

Centennial College requires students who are applying for this Modified Apprenticeship program to present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or a GED or equivalent. They must also be employed by a Toyota dealership or be selected through an interview process. Candidates may apply directly to Centennial College, with successful applicants obtaining an employer and registering as a MAP apprentice with the Apprenticeship Branch of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.