Embracing a life-long passion
When Nicole came to Mohawk College, she was just starting out in a career that was quite different to what she was doing previously.
“My first career was as a clinical psychologist, which I know is a massive switch,” Nicole says. “That career was wearing on me. A lot of emotional and mental labour goes into that.”
Nicole knew it was time for a change and after thinking about what she wanted to pursue, it didn’t take long for her to set her sights on a career working with cars. She says automotives just “made sense” and having a dynamic job where she had the opportunity to develop was important.
“Every day is different, every car is different,” Nicole explains. “The unique challenges you face are constantly making sure you don’t fall into a routine, and you constantly feel like you are getting to try new things.”
Nicole’s goal was to become a certified automotive service technician. To accomplish that, she would have to complete both in-class training and on-the-job training.
For this in-class portion of her training, Nicole received offers from various colleges through the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Skills Development. Nicole decided to attend Mohawk College for the Automotive Service Technician program because of both the college’s and the program’s excellent reputation in the industry, and it didn’t take long for her to understand why.
Seamless switch from work to “workshop”
Mohawk College takes great care to prepare students for their future careers through learning environments that mirror the workplace, with the Automotive Service Technician program being no different. The hands-on learning that takes place in shops is both conducive to learning and reflective of the real world.
“When I walked into the labs for the first time, my jaw dropped,” Nicole recalls. “There’re some beautiful cars in there, but the facilities look like a shop. They’re not classrooms, they are a shop. Which is big especially for people in my program where we’re coming from the workplace.”
While an apprentice is training to become a registered tradesperson, they alternate between their in-class and on-the-job training. Nicole says that because there are so many similarities between the classroom and the job site, she and fellow students find it easy to switch between the two environments and apply what they’ve learned in both settings simultaneously.
Another benefit of learning in a setting that mimics the real world is that students get to use the same tools and equipment they’ll have access to while working.
“The program is well-supplied with tools that you actually use, and I still can’t get over that,” Nicole comments. “Two weeks ago, I reached for an air conditioning machine and the machine I grabbed is identical to the one I have at work, including the model number.”
Real-world learning for real-world work
Nicole says that Mohawk College’s Automotive Service Technician program prepares students for their careers as registered automotive service technicians by teaching them far more than how to simply follow a car’s service manual.
“You learn not just the book way of doing it but the real-world way of doing it,” Nicole remarks.
In the real world, automotive service technicians need to keep factors like time efficiency in mind while they complete their inspections and repairs on various elements of a vehicle. Additionally, many car service manuals don’t take into account factors such as corrosion and weather damage, previous repair jobs and niche issues when giving instructions and time estimates for inspections and repairs.
“Anyone can follow the service manual step-by-step and be like ‘okay, this is how it’s going to go’,” Nicole remarks. “I can tell you from experience that is never how it goes.”
The Automotive Service Technician program teaches students how to approach tasks with critical thinking and adaptability. Nicole says she learned how to work in a real-world environment on actual cars, rather than on cars that had never been driven, in a place with unrealistically optimal conditions.
Nicole says she also learned many different soft skills in the program that helped her greatly while on the job.
“The most valuable skill I’ve learned is communication and how important it is to work together,” Nicole says. “It’s very easy to get saddled into ‘I do my job and leave everyone else’, but that’s not possible in this trade.”
Students are taught to embrace teamwork and learn from each other, as in the real world it will be co-workers who give their insight and assistance instead of instructors. Not only does embracing teamwork helps get the job done, but also fosters a healthy work environment of comradery and respect.
Program instructors—experienced and earnest
Nicole says that one of the best things about the Automotive Service Technician program is that the faculty are more than just professors, they are experienced tradespeople.
“They’ve been in the industry for 20, 30 or 40 years,” Nicole states.
Not only are the instructors experienced, but many are still active in their careers. Some even work at the same shops as their students, where they are able to watch students take what they’ve learned into the workplace.
Nicole also says that the instructors in the Automotive Service Technician program regularly go the extra mile for their students. An instance that particularly stood out to her was when her class was struggling with a particular technique. In response, the professor chose to walk everyone through it step-by-step while they followed along to ensure that everyone had a firm grasp of it.
The instructors are also keen on helping their students achieve their specific career goals. While taking the program, Nicole discovered that she had a particular interest in working with the electronic elements of a vehicle. When she told her program’s faculty, they pointed her towards resources that would help her enter that specific branch of automotive service.
“The instructors literally guided me towards how to make that happen,” Nicole says. “They actually made it so now it’s a feasible plan. I have a goal. I have a pathway to get there and people to contact.”
Belonging at Mohawk College
It didn’t take long for Nicole to feel like she belonged at Mohawk College. On her first day, she already felt like she was at home.
“When I got out of my car in the parking lot, it just made sense,” Nicole says. “I got into the building, and it felt like I’d been walking these halls for years. That was a sign to me that I’m in the right place.”
Mohawk College’s staff play a key role in helping create that welcoming atmosphere Nicole described. From both her own experience and the experiences of fellow students, Nicole says that staff will always go above and beyond to help students get what they need to succeed.
Something that Nicole noticed, as small as it might seem, was that staff didn’t start a conversation by asking for her student number but by asking her for her name. This did a lot to reinforce to her that she wasn’t just a random number at Mohawk College but was a valued member of the community.
“You’re not a number here, you are a student,” Nicole states.
Whether that be interacting with Mohawk College staff, program faculty or even her fellow students, Nicole says she always felt seen, heard and supported.
Open House
It’s common for new students to feel anxious on the first day of school. The best way to overcome those first day nerves is to prepare and Nicole says that there is no better way to prepare than by coming to Mohawk College Open House.
“If you come to Open House, you get that [the nervousness] out of the way so you can attack the first day ready,” Nicole says.
Open House gives students the opportunity to get a sense of what they can expect on their first day whether that be by speaking with program faculty, learning where your classes will be or just generally getting a feel for the campus. Along with this, Open House allows future students to see what exactly is waiting for them, re-affirming that they made a good decision for themselves and their future by choosing Mohawk College.
“I know from experience leading up to the first day at a new school that you worry if you made the right choice,” Nicole says. “You go to Open House and you realize that this is where you should be.”
If you want to know more about how to start your apprenticeship, visit the Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship page to learn more.
