Will it be worth it to go to college for 1 year to get a certificate as a automotive tech ?

Learn a trade.

One of the smartest things you can do.

yes, don't borrow over 5,000 dollars.

Yeah by this time next year you could be using your skills to fix tanks in Eastern Europe.

Absolutely.

I find that there are enough people in the world that there will always be someone to buy something. No matter what this something is, someone will buy it. With that in mind, why not go Craft something? Write something? Invent something?

mechanical skills are a must that everyone should know. I know for a fact everyone who sees this post has taken something apart, guess what! This skill is called reversed engineering. Now putting it back together in the same order you took it apart is where someone might have to go to school to learn.

is that a hint for him to join the army?

No just looking at the doomish threads today.


Sorry OP, more sensible advise.

Go for it, but make sure you finish it and get the qualification.

Once you have it, no one can ever take it from you.

Also try and get a part time work (paid or unpaid) at a garage so you can use this to get a full time job.
Don't moan about doing any crappy / mundane jobs keep your head down and work hard.

Agreed. Even were something major to happen soon, people with crafting skills will be much better off, more useful than those working at micky d's and such. Mechanical skills will always be useful.

Better yet learn a few of them. The more you can actually do the better off you'll be

Getting a trade in this economy and the economy thats coming is the smartest thing to do far and away however as another poster claimed if they are going to put you into a spiraling debt then I would re-think that plan and maybe consider getting a journeyman position at a shop i instead. Do you have a family to care for?

Depends on what you're going to get certified in, ASI certified in "x" "y" "z".

There are some companies that will hire you to do the grunt work, change oil, tires, blades, fluids, etc. and then pay for you to go to school on the mechanics (while you work for them).

I know Farm & Fleet used to have this program, and so do some dealerships. But you have to sign on the dotted line that you will continue to work for them, I think it's two years, or you have to pay the schooling back.

Other options. If the school is accredited, and they can provide you with a listing of companies they place with and they have a high placement rate (not lies) and are not a fly-by-night operation, it may be worth a few thousand to go full-time for a year, if you're going to get properly ASI certified, and then work PT at a local place doing the grunt work while in training.

Good Luck. Nothing wrong with a trade to start out with. Can always move up later, and add skills as you go along.

Just don't get taken to the cleaners by some BS school (fly-by-night). Go the technical school that has been around a long time and has proven track record of placing graduates with good companies, i.e., who does UPS hire from? FedEx? The government? Check this out first. See who they place with.

Most states have an Apprentice board,
most apprentice mechanic's take 4yrs., but you
are getting on average 70% of journeyman scale.
you won't have a student loan to pay back. look in
to it. requirement is to show up and don't miss work.
need small tool kit to get started and buy them as you need them. A good young mechanic can make over 100k a year.

Sounds like a fantastic idea, OP. There will always be a demand for good auto mechanics. Especially since guys are becoming more pussified and helpless to do these types of things. Another option would be an electrician.

YES!

Learn a trade. NEVER miss an opportunity to learn!

Auto mech. is good...everybody has a car.

You could make ALOT more fixing appliances (fridges, dishwashers, cloths washers & dryers, etc.).

EVERYBODY has appliances!

If you really worked hard with appliances, I'll bet you could make 100K - 150K a year.

Agreed +1.

For sure OP. And acquire as many tools as you can to store at your house in case there are no 'jobs' you can still barter as a backyard mechanic. And don't limit your education to 'skool' jump right in and use the internet/youtube etc to expand on the skills you are learning.

hell yes.. cars will always break...just do it...

Hey man, I'm a honda master tech ( I've completed over 280 training modules and gone to their school) I'm only 23. I went to UTI and it was probably the worst thing I've ever done. I love what I do and I my job, I never touched a car before going to UTI, I did learn basics but after that I taught myself, you can go to the fanciest school but you can buy experience.


So here's my suggestion, don't go to any 4 year college or 1 year quick program bullshit. Go to a tech school (like highschool) take night courses, it's much cheaper, you will learn more because it's less students in a class. Make the right friends there, pick the smart and humble guys, be good to them and work as a team, cause when you finish you'll need em. One of them will find a good tech job and you can follow right with him

Learn to be versatile don't bitch about getting shitty work, sell sell sell that's how you survive in this field, the gravy helps but it's all on what you can do, the more shit you learn to do the more ou can sell. Don't be afraid to try new things because they will help out in the long run

Like I said I'm only 23, I and I learned more through my job and the guys I work with than at school. Does school help? Definatly, but not worth it if your paying over 10,000


Main things to learn: electrical diagnosis
Mechanical shits easy
That's my two cents

OP???

Sounds very good and thanks everyone for the help.
I hope that there will be a chance for to finish before things get terrible in the economy. I don't want to be 20 months in a problem and then by the time I get the job...life would be so different.
I wish I could get a job now to have money saved just in case.
I have 0 dollars since I live with my parents. I am only 18 and finished high school last June

Good luck OP. Whatever you do though, DON'T JOIN THE ARMY.

Plumbers, electricians, even drywall hangers fare better than mechanics do income-wise and you'll outspend them 100 to 1 on tools required to do your craft.

I remember when being an automotive tech paid fairly well for a skilled trade -- those days are gone. Don't let anyone fool you, there is more money to be made for less demanding work.

Being an auto tech is something you do because you really love it ( like teachers ) or something you got into years ago when it was worthwhile and found yourself stuck there.

When I started in the very early 80's a tech got 50% of the labor rate charged to cust's and that rate was all of $20-$25 dollars an hour. Nowdays you'll be lucky to be paid 20% of the labor rate which in many cases exceeds $100 dollars an hour.

They charge more and more and give us less and less....

Had I not been around to see what has happened to this trade, I'd say go for it. Having been involved now for over 30 years, my advice is to not only stay away but run as fast as you can.

There is better to be had.