Chances are, during this time of year, lots of Prince George residents are in need of a good mechanic to keep their vehicle up-to-date and ready to tackle changing weather conditions.
Thanks to car dealerships across the city, prospective students and apprentices within the industry will be able to earn their seal and gain hands-on experience with a new $30,000 fund for the College of New Caledonia’s (CNC) Auto Service Technician Foundation-level program.
The money, which will see $10,000 for the trades school each year through to 2023, will be made into scholarships for current students and bursaries with future ones in need of financial help.
CNC school of trades and technology operations manager John Reed explains this first-year program sets up students for 20 weeks in the classroom and four years of apprenticeship.
“It’s a big commitment from the student and also the dealership,” he said. “They learn a lot of safety skills, a lot of the basics when it comes to operating tools that would be used in the automotive industry. Repairs [and] this time of year, tire change-overs is always important, so a lot of those fundamental skills throughout the first year of the program.”
.@cnc_bc_ca’s Automotive program is receiving $10,000 each year for the next 3 years for future students’ scholarships & bursaries from PGCDA & NCDFBC | #CityOfPG @PGMatters pic.twitter.com/y1c3LpLW4c
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) October 25, 2019
The Prince George Car Dealerships Association (PGCDA) was one of the benefactors for the new CNC scholarships, along with the New Car Dealers’ Foundation of BC (NCDFBC).
Peter Sia, Northern Nissan general manager and spokesperson for the PGCDA, explained during this morning’s (Oct. 25) cheque presentation that every dealership in the city donated $500 to make the donation possible.
“Not only does this create greater certainty and flexibility for the local industry, it ensures our young people have a chance to develop the skills that will allow them to launch and maintain a career in their own community,” said Sia in a CNC news release.
Right now, the Auto Service Technician Foundation-level program takes up to 32 students each year.
When asked by PrinceGeorgeMatters if there’ll be a need for more spaces based on today’s announcement, he said he hopes the demand for mechanics continues to go up.
“Predominantly, our foundation program is full. We’re always interested in putting more programs throughout the year if the demand is there.”
Speaking on behalf of CNC president Dr. Dennis Johnson, Vice-President of Finance and Corporate Services Tara Szerencsi says partnering with local businesses in the industry is key to providing students with whatever they need to earn their degrees.
“It’s really important for us to have good industry partnerships, so we’re very grateful to all of the local car dealerships for coming together and supporting our students this way.”
