A new automotive technician program officially opened at the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo, Wednesday.
The program has been running since January, but already has two cohorts of 15 students enrolled, and aims to narrow the skill gap for local labor trained in the auto industry.
Among the faces of the dignitaries and business leaders at the opening, a particular group stood out: the students huddled together laughing as they spotted themselves in a promotional video played at the event.
“I wanted a career," said 18-year-old Phillip Wallace, explaining to WBFO why he chose to enroll in the eight month program. "A lot of kids are going to school, they're coming out of college for two four years and they're still not doing anything. So I wanted to chase a career that I could actually make some money in, get it done quick, and cars interested me.”
"And our instructor, Larry - we call him coach - he always has us out here doing stuff on the lifts, working on vehicles. I'd say 90% of it is hands-on.”
Until now, 19-year-old Lugundi Hassan had only worked on cars in a driveway. He has ambitions of eventually owning his own car dealership, but also has a personal service mission.
“Knowing you’re able to help somebody. I started in a driveway - bad conditions, terrible conditions - and it’s nice to really help somebody, you know. Make sure their car’s good on the road, especially in New York knowing we have a lot of potholes, salt rust, all types of stuff,” he said.
The program’s curriculum was developed by SUNY Erie Community College, but industry pros Northtown Automotive and West Herr Auto Group advised on the development of the shop where students learn practical skills. West Herr’s Jay Galligan said graduates will help fill a workforce gap.
“We need people who are going to come in with the right skills, with the right trade and I don't want to go to other communities to get it. We have people right here in this community to do it,” Galligan said.
The entry level wage for an auto tech in New York is around $35,000 per year according to the state Department of Labor.
