New York State High School Students Compete for Scholarships and Prizes Awarded at the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition
Winning Team to Compete in the National Finals, June 24th
On May 15th, ten teams from schools across New York State will meet at Morrisville State College to challenge each other in the annual Ford/AAA Auto Skills Competition. Each two-student team will strive to correctly diagnose and repair intentionally installed faults or "bugs" on identical vehicles. After diagnosing and repairing every bug, the winning teammates must drive their assigned vehicle across the finish line, where their car will be inspected for accuracy. The winning team not only receives scholarships and other valuable prizes, but also will represent New York State at the National Finals at Ford Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, on June 24.
Students competing in the State competition:
Cortland, OCM BOCES McEvoy Campus: Andrew Marks & Jason Covert; Hervey Forward, Instructor
Dix Hills, L.A. Wilson Technological Center: Anthony Bruno & Jose Coba; Brian Harrison, Instructor
East Aurora, Wallace D. Ormsby Education Center: Mark Dobbins & Brian Mayerat; Roger J. Thompson, Instructor
Fairport, Monroe 1 BOCES>: Brandon Bisig & Ryan McCullough; Steve Donovan, Instructor
Hudson, Questar III Columbia Green Education Center: Ron Case & Joseph Favorito; Edwin G. Luther Jr., Instructor
Mount Morris, Charles G. May Career and Tech: Dean C. Baird & Justin Bennett; Michael Johnson, Instructor
Northport, L.A. Wilson Technological Center: Joseph Roberto & Brian Wilson; Ralph Savarese, Instructor
Spencerport, WEMOCO Career & Tech Center: Tim Franck & Michael Jacques; David Shalke, Instructor
Spencerport, WEMOCO Career & Tech Center: Nick Corwin & Matt Marianetti; Brian Walczak, Instructor
Williamson, Wayne Technical & Career Center: Thomas Bogart & Tim Eastley; Chet Kuhn, Instructor
Every student qualified for the competition by completing online exams administered in February. This marked the second year that the qualifying exam was conducted online, enabling 8,076 students nationwide to compete for a spot in their states' auto skills competition. The new format also emulated professional technical certification and training programs such as the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and automotive manufacturers, who are using Internet-based distance learning and assessment programs in lieu of off-site training and testing.
New York State's championship team will compete against students from the 49 other states in a written exam and another hands-on competition at the national finals. "As the technology used in vehicles continues to evolve and increase in complexity, young people who want to excel as automotive technicians need opportunities to get the best training possible," said Tom Chestnut, President/CEO of AAA Western and Central New York. "The Ford/AAA Auto Skills competition provides students with the opportunities to obtain the technical training required to work on all kinds of vehicles, including those with the newest advances."
Each year, many of participants move on to promising careers in the automotive industry as a result of participation in the competition and the scholarships they win to some of the top technical schools in the country. This comes at a time of high demand for well-trained technicians. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the need for qualified technicians will grow 14 percent through the year 2016, accounting for 110,000 new jobs. Competitors in the Ford/AAA Auto Skills contest will be well positioned to find employment upon completion of their training.
Both the national and the statewide competitions are organized with the support of Ford personnel, local automotive instructors, and AAA's Approved Auto Repair program, a public service AAA performs to identify quality repair facilities throughout the country.
As Upstate New York's largest motoring and travel organization, AAA provides its 880,000 members with travel, insurance, financial, and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1900, AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited at www.AAA.com.
Contact:
Shaun Seufert (716) 929-3600
Diana R. Dibble (315) 453-5904
Wally Smith (716) 626-3225
