Kent ISD — Lex Piper says the successes of students participating in Kent Career Tech Center’s automotive technology classes first sparked his interest in the program.
“It is a pathway where I will be making money and have a future, so I’m totally going to do it,” said the Lee High School senior, who credits the program and its instructors for giving him the skills to secure a position at a local dealership.
In January, the Tech Center’s Automotive Technology program received the 2025 Career and Technical Education Excellence in Practice Award in the area of Student Assessment. The award was given to the program for exemplifying the highest standards in preparing Michgan’s students for postsecondary education and careers.
“We really pride ourselves on having that evidence-based, work-based learning where we work with the students to get them to a level of proficiency that they can enter the workforce,” said instructor Nathan Vannest.
At the Starting Line
Started in 1971, the auto tech program is one of the oldest Tech Center programs and has a positive reputation due to its longevity, said Vannest, himself a 12-year teacher at the Tech Center. It also regularly has a waiting list, with about 100 students on the list this school year.
“There probably is at least one Tech Center graduate in every dealership in the area,” Vannest said.
The program is split into two years of classes, each with a distinct focus. About 120 students are currently participating in the first year, which focuses on maintenance and light repair of cars, SUVs, light duty trucks and vans. (The program does not work on power sports vehicles or heavy-duty equipment.)
Since the Tech Center’s program is affiliated with the National Institute for Auto Service Excellence, first-year students also have the opportunity to take the Auto Service Excellence Educational Foundation test, which assesses a student’s knowledge and skills related to automotive repair and allows them to potentially earn an ASE entry-level certification.
In the second year, which has about 80 students enrolled this school year, students focus on electrical systems and brakes, working hands-on with a variety of vehicles. They have the potential to earn state certifications in those areas too, Vannest said.
Students in auto tech also find success at a higher rate than others in the state, according to Michigan’s Career and Technical Information System, which shares information about all state-approved CTE programs. The database showed that approximately 66% of the Tech Center’s auto tech students in school year 2022-23 earned a recognized state credential in electrical systems and/or brakes, compared to the state average of 7.5%. The state requires this credential for a person to be compensated for working on vehicles.
In the Final Laps
Because of the program’s success rate, Vannest said many students find work at dealerships or independent shops, with some going on to earn four-year degrees in engineering and management.
The potential to earn state certifications was a big draw for Rockford High School junior Connor Lerond.
“It is mostly the opportunities here that interested me,” said Connor, who wants to enter the automotive field. “The hands-on learning and the certifications, they give me the start of having a really great career.”
Students in the program undergo performance evaluations twice each year by an advisory committee of current automotive professionals. These evaluations include timed tasks like brake replacements completed to industry standards.
“I do feel like I’m ahead of someone who wants to go into this after high school,” said Forest Hills Northern junior Theodore Moua.
Theodore, whose goal is to work for an independent auto repair shop, said he believes having the opportunity to work on engine components has given him a head start on a career.
“I feel like I have more confidence because I have participated in this program,” Theodore said.
Read more from Kent ISD:
• Future dispatcher: ‘Knowing you are helping someone is amazing’
• Partnership expands CTE programs to local districts
