As a Chrysler Technician, You Will Work at a Respected Company

When we are driving our cars, we don't wonder if the engine is running properly or whether the tires need rotating. Usually, we realize these things with the help of automotive service technicians. Those who drive Chrysler models, have them inspected, maintained and repaired by trained Chrysler technicians. Their jobs include: diagnosing problems using Chrysler diagnostic equipment; performing repairs and preventive maintenance on engines, transmissions, electrical systems, brakes and tires. Now is a great time to join the Chrysler team, as this company is number two in volume, slightly edging out Ford Motor company (not including their Premier Automotive Group) and holding just more than 14 per cent of the market. If that's not enough to convince you, note that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job growth in Automotive Service Technology to grow by 14 percent from 2006 through 2016.

The first step to becoming a Chrysler technician is to participate in a Chrysler apprenticeship, such as the one offered at Centennial College in Toronto. Taking two years to complete, the apprenticeship prepares students for careers as: automotive service technicians, service writers/ advisors, service managers, instructors/ professors and auto company representatives. To apply for the Automotive Service Technician Chrysler Co-op students must have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or General Educational Development (GED) or equivalent. They may also be required to present a resume and transcript for faculty review. Please consider that English proficiency and satisfactory results in a program admission session will also be considered during the admissions process. Lastly, applicants may be required to fill out a questionnaire.

In-school training is an essential part of this apprenticeship. Training takes place at Ontario's largest automotive training centre, Ashtonbee campus, which is fully equipped with the latest Chrysler equipment and tools. Successful students earn an Ontario College diploma, have eight months of practical, on-the-job, co-op training in a Chrysler dealership and complete their entire Ontario apprenticeship in-school curriculum within two years.

Not only do students participate in automotive training, they also take theoretical courses in business (Occupational Health & Safety, Employment Pre-Placement, Organizational Behavior, Communications for Professionals in the Automotive Industry, Fixed Operations Management). However, of course, the automotive course are just as important and include: Engine Systems (introduction into the principles of operation and the terms related to the internal combustion engine), Suspension/ Steering & Brake Systems (looks at course kinetic energy, handling dynamics, frames types and damage, friction, steering designs, and more); Workplace Practice and Procedures (five topic areas are covered: fasteners, bearing and seals, oxyacetylene operation, computer fundamentals); and many others, including a unique advanced electrical and electronics diagnosis course.

Students spend the first eight months of the program in school, eight months in co-op as a registered apprentice and a final eight months in school. The field part of their Chrysler apprenticeship allows them to apply what they have been learning and take away new knowledge from their employer. They also have a chance to network and interact with real customers.