https://secure.njcar.org/secure/images/uploadedimages/AutoTechs1stPlace.jpg” alt=”” width=”300″ hspace=”10″ vspace=”10″ border=”0″ align=”right”> 01/23/2019
Austin Tarby and Patric Willey, seniors at Hunterdon County Polytech were crowned the winners of NJ CAR’s inaugural New Jersey Auto Tech Competition, held at Brookdale Community College on Saturday, January 19, 2019.
Two-student teams from five competing schools (Hunterdon County Polytech, Old Bridge High School, Perth Amboy Vo-Tech, Vineland High School and West Orange High School) were scored on six hands-on stations that measured their ability to assess and undertake vehicle repairs. The stations included: engine performance, brakes, engines, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), wiring repair, electrical and Controller Area Network (CAN)-BUS.
This event is very timely, as the entire auto retailing industry faces a shortage of skilled auto technicians. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. will need more than 530,000 car and light truck mechanics through 2026. New Jersey alone will have approximately 24,000 jobs that will need to be filled over the next seven years. And these are good-paying, local jobs that can’t be outsourced.
The New Jersey Auto Tech Competition will serve as just one example of the commitment franchised automotive retailers have to making students aware of the incredible opportunities available to them with a career in auto repair.
Austin and Patric, along with their instructor Chris Scheuerman, will represent New Jersey at the National Automotive Technology Competition to be held April 22-24, 2019 as part of the New York Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Center.
Pictured (L-R): Brian Hughes, NJ CAR Director of Communications; Chris Scheuerman, instructor at Hunterdon County Polytech; Students Austin Tarby and Patric Willey; Dr. David Stout, President of Brookdale Community College and Ivan Anderson, of Brookdale’s Automotive Technology Program.