Rick Escalambre is a retired instructor, after 31 years, from Skyline College in San Bruno, CA. He shows no signs of slowing down and continues to teach in an adjunct role. He is also a contract trainer throughout the industry. Rick serves on the Vision Educator Think Tank and can always be counted on to make some important and profound contributions to the forum. Hear Rick’s previous episodes HERE.

Scott Brown is an ASE Master Certified Automobile Technician with over three and a half decades of professional service industry experience. He and his wife own Connie & Dick’s Service Center Inc., a 57-year-old independent shop in Southern California.

With a strong focus on engine performance and electronics, Scott began collaborating with other industry professionals, online, beginning in the early 90’s. Scott is the former president of iATN. Scott is now launching Diagnostic Network; The Network for Vehicle Diagnosticians and Service Industry Professionals. Scott additionally serves on the NASTF Board of Directors and is a member of the following associations: ASCCA, CAT, ETI, I-CAR, & SAE. Listen to Scott’s previous episodes HERE.

Tim Dwyer is an automotive education specialist at ConsuLab, a manufacturer, and provider of automotive training aids.  After 25 years of ownership, he sold his business Superwrench Import Auto in Tulsa, OK to pursue a teaching career at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. There he helped start and instruct the Pro-Tech Automotive Internship program for 12 years. Hear Tim’s previous episodes HERE.

Matthew Shanahan is an Assistant Professor, Automotive Technology at the College of DuPage. He is also  the Faculty Learning Technologies Coordinator and Secretary, COD Faculty Association

 Talking Points:

• Soft skills as a technician, shop owner and educator are critically important.
• Rich Escalambre did a keynote at the Educators Think Tank on ‘Respect’.
  • As a teacher, you earn respect from your students.
• Scott Brown says caring for student’s success starts with the instructor.
• There is about a 50% or more attrition rate in the number of students that start post-secondary automotive programs and graduate. There are many reasons for this, however, it is a large number.
• Listen to the Vision interview on NASTF, the Road To Great Technicians HERE.
• Automotive careers may not necessarily include turning wrenches for your entire life. There are so many job opportunities in the industry.
• The skills of our technicians are wanted by other industries. There are many reasons we are losing our talent to include, training, support, career path, pay and benefits among many others.
• Why aren’t there more students landing at independent shops?  The dealer networks are in communication with the college and instructors.
  • Workaround their schedules is a barrier.
  • Students want to know what type of internship work they will do. They do not want to be in the lube bay for the entire program.
  • Get them exposed to challenges inside the shop.
• We are in the world of major software technology as vehicles are running more computer code than ever.
• We are working in a mold of education that has a lot of debt to it and we need to break the mold.
• Automotive technology programs at all levels are expensive. The cost per student is high. But looking at the needs of the community, there is high demand for skilled technicians that can outweigh an economic downturn. Industry must get involved in the advisory boards at these schools.
• Independents must attend career fairs and speak to classes at all levels including middle school.
• Quality of teaching time is going down because of admin and committee work.
• Articulation agreements with high school programs are needed to bring the students with college credit into post-secondary.
• Education gets rewarded, but experience doesn’t. To bring quality experienced professionals into the education system there needs to be a change.
  • Instructors with real-world experience need to understand how to teach.
• Industry and education need to come together stronger than ever. The industry has a depth of talent that can help the education system. [Scott Brown]
• Teachers, shop owners and technicians all gather at Vision and discuss their concerns.
• Jorge Menchu gets credit for driving the quality and growth of the Educators Think Tank.

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