Students compete for auto tech scholarships DENVER, May 8 — With more and more cars on the road, there is an increased need for auto technicians. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), franchised auto dealers will need 35,000 new technicians a year for the next 10 years. AAA and Ford host the national high school Ford/AAA Auto Skills Challenge every year. The competition tests students’ automotive knowledge and technical skills, and awards auto technical training scholarships to the champions. The Colorado competition takes place Saturday May 12, at the NAPA Denver Distribution Center. Colorado’s championship team also receives an invitation to represent the state at the national finals at Ford Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., on June 26. Two-student teams will strive to correctly diagnose and repair intentionally installed faults on identical vehicles in the shortest time possible. High school students from Grand Junction, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Sterling, Rifle and Salida will participate. Students qualified for the competition by completing online exams in February. This was the first year the qualifying exam was conducted online, which allowed more students to compete than in previous years. “One of our main goals at AAA has always been to be an advocate for motorists,” said Jim Abel, of AAA Colorado’s Automotive Services. “Part of that commitment is helping to assure there are enough qualified auto technicians in the future. We believe encouraging kids to look into the financially rewarding career of an auto technician will not only benefit them but Colorado’s motorists as well.” The automotive service industry held approximately 875,000 jobs in 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Fulltime automobile technicians earned an average hourly wage of $15.89 in May 2005 according to the BLS. The highest 10 percent earned more than $26.45 per hour. Automotive service technicians working for local governments or automotive dealers averaged more than $40,000 annually. Note to media: The state competition will be held at the NAPA Denver Distribution Warehouse at 2101 Highway 224 in Denver from 9:30 AM until 12:00 PM. For details on covering the event, contact Eric Escudero at 303-210-2904. AAA Colorado has more than 500,000 members in Colorado and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 50 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. ###
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