Lucas Bishop was looking for some training in the automotive industry before jumping into the real world, and he found it in Lakeland's new pre-employment automotive service technician (AST) program.

Automotive service technician class photo“I wanted to get some automotive training and experience before going into the field,” explains Bishop, a student in the AST program. “With this program, I could do my school first and learn some things before I actually went into the real world.”

The program features 12 weeks on campus practical and theory following by a four-week work placement. Students learn the same technical training as a first-year apprentice. This includes, basic maintenance, brake systems, electrical systems, steerage and suspension and safety training. Following that training, successful students will qualified to write the first-year automotive apprenticeship exam.

Bishop heard positive things about Lakeland College and its instructors from friends, which helped make the decision to enrol even easier. His own Lakeland experience at the Vermilion campus reaffirmed what he'd heard.

“The instructors were super helpful,” he says. “I got lots of one-on-one time with them. They answered any question I had and encouraged us to ask as many as we needed to.”

Since finishing the classroom part of the program, Bishop has written and passed his first-year apprenticeship exam and moved on to a practicum placement at Audi Edmonton North.

“It's really fun,” Bishop says. “We are doing a lot of the same things we practiced in the shop at college. It's really great to have that knowledge to work in this environment.”

Reflecting on his choice to attend Lakeland before becoming an apprentice, Bishop has no regrets.

“Going to school first and then the practicum was so helpful,” Bishop says. “It was a smooth transition, that's for sure."

Photo: Students in the pre-employment automotive service technician class.