Chrysler Apprenticeship Results in College Diploma and Completion of In-School Apprenticeship Curriculum

At Centennial College’s Chrysler technician program, known officially as Automotive Service Technician Co-op Apprenticeship (Partnered with Chrysler Canada Inc.), successful students earn an Ontario College diploma, and complete their entire Ontario apprenticeship in-school curriculum within two years. They then go on to fulfill positions such as: automotive service technician, service writer/advisor, service manager, instructor/professor and auto company representative sound like they may appeal to you. Despite these different positions, students will be comfortable in all of them and have the knowledge to carry out tasks such as: diagnosing problems using Chrysler diagnostic equipment; performing repairs and preventive maintenance on engines, transmissions, electrical systems, brakes and tires.

The Chrysler apprenticeship is set to allow students to experience both in-school sessions and on the job training at a Chrysler dealership. As such, the first eight months of the program are spent at Ashtonbee Campus where Chrysler technician students take courses such as Engine Systems, Drive Train Systems, Suspension/Steering & Brakes, Electrical/ Electronics & Emissions and more. Students then alternate to a co-op work placement with a Chrysler dealer as registered apprentices during which they apply what they have learned and gain new knowledge in order to take more advanced Chrysler apprenticeship courses upon their return to the college.

The in-school curriculum sees students studying in fully-equipped automotive labs that feature automobile assemblies. In addition to the courses already mentioned, students cover topics such as Chrysler product component design and repair, Chrysler factory training, advanced diagnostics and hybrid/alternate fuels as they apply to the apprenticeship curriculum. Lastly, Chrysler apprenticeship students take courses in automotive trade business, English and general education that help prepare them for employment opportunities in a dealership administrative role.

Those who are interested in becoming Chrysler technicians through Centennial College’s Chrysler apprenticeship must possess at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or General Educational Development (GED) or equivalent. They must also have completed English Grade 12 C or U, or equivalent (or take the Centennial College English Skills Assessment for Admission) and Mathematics Grade 11 C, M or U or equivalent, or skills assessment (or take the Centennial College Engineering Math Skills Assessment for Admission). Applicants to the Chrysler apprenticeship may be required to present a resume and transcript for faculty review, fill out a questionnaire and attend an interview. Please note that English proficiency and satisfactory results in a program admission session will also be considered during the admissions process.

Employers benefit from accepting Chrysler apprenticeship students, as they gain upcoming employees that have future management potential. Employers are also eligible for up to $45,000 over four years in various federal and provincial tax incentives. Meanwhile, apprentices are currently eligible for up to $4000 in various grants and tax incentives.