Honda Technicians Get Leading Edge Training at Centennial College

"The quality of apprentices coming out of the Centennial Honda technician training program is consistently high and allows us a higher degree of productivity with lower staff turnover," says Steve Fleming of Markham Acura about the Automotive Service Technician Honda AHAP MAP 32 offering at Centennial College in Toronto, Ont. This testimonial sums up the type of professional, reliable and in-depth training Honda technicians obtain from this offering.

The high praise of the Honda technician training offered at Centennial is in part to its alternating approach, which sees students, every eight weeks, alternate between their Acura/Honda apprenticeship employer sessions and on-campus learning for a total of 64 weeks (32 weeks with each). As such, students first grasp basic concepts through a traditional apprenticeship curriculum, as well as additional training on Acura/Honda product description, operation, diagnostics and repair. They then head out into the field and apply what they have learned with their employer. At the same time, they may pick up new skills or knowledge from working alongside seasoned professionals that will prepare them to come back into the classroom and study more advanced Honda technician topics. These topics include: Honda's latest technology, with an emphasis on electronics and the diagnosing of mechanical systems as well as factory training, advanced diagnostics and hybrid/alternate fuels training. Additionally, due to the length of Honda technician training, students receive more in-depth and longer school sessions than those students in traditional apprenticeship programs.

Honda technicians attend their courses, which include Applied Work Practices and Procedures, Motor Vehicle Engine Systems, Steering, Suspension and Brakes; Electrical Electronics and Fuels, Motor Vehicle Gear Trains, and more, at Ashtonbee Campus. Known to be the province's largest automotive training centre, this location is fully equipped with the tools that Honda technicians use in the industry as well as Honda parts and vehicles on which students can practice.

Upon graduation from Honda technician training, technicians are responsible for maintaining and repairing cars, vans and pickup trucks by fixing engines, changing brakes, checking windshield wipers and fluid levels, and replacing mufflers, hoses, belts and plugs.

Those interested in becoming Honda technicians via Centennial College's Honda technician training are required to have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or a GED or equivalent. They are also required to be employed by a Honda dealership or be selected through an interview process. Candidates may apply directly to Centennial College, with successful applicants (who aren't employed) obtaining an employer and registering as a MAP apprentice with the Apprenticeship Branch of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Acceptance to Honda technician training is based on successful completion of all entry requirements and space is limited. Some students within the Honda technician training at Centennial College may be eligible for Employment Insurance during the in-class aspect.