Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES)
AYES is a dynamic national partnership among participating automotive manufacturers, participating local automotive dealers, and selected local high schools/Regional Occupational Centers and Programs. The AYES program prepares young people for challenging, well-paid careers in automotive service. For further information about the AYES program, contact Steve Ford, California AYES Director at 310-279-9397. Visit National AYES (Outside Source) for national information on the AYES program.
Mission
The mission of AYES is to be the catalyst in the development
of school-to-career automotive educational programs at the high
school level on a nationwide basis by bringing together business
(auto dealers) and educational systems and providing a source
of qualified entry-level technicians and other service personnel
for automotive dealerships.
Goals
AYES provides an active, positive approach to attract young people to rewarding and challenging automotive careers. By the time AYES students graduate from high school and receive their AYES certificate, they will have both the technical skills and the employability skills that dealerships expect of entry-level employees.
Students selected to participate not only take the auto technology classes while they pursue their high school diplomas but they also work between their junior and senior years at participating dealerships under the tutelage of a journeyman technician.
In order to achieve these goals, AYES is pursuing three major strategies:
- Development of outstanding automotive business and education partnerships at the local level. Such programs will include a strong mentoring component within the new car dealerships to guide and encourage the student in the development of both technical and employability skills.
- Image enhancement. AYES is influencing the resources of auto manufacturers and dealerships as desirable places to pursue long-term careers.
- Enhancement of the dealership work environment. AYES is assisting dealerships in focusing on training strategies, benefits and working conditions, in accordance with a belief that employee satisfaction and retention are directly related to customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Why AYES?
AYES is more than technical training. It is a partnership among participating dealerships, schools, students, and their parents. Through dealership tours, classroom presentations and opportunities for job shadowing, AYES will introduce a greater number of young people to the world of retail automotive technology careers and prepare them to meet the needs of prospective employers.
The AYES experience begins formally in the eleventh grade, continues through the twelfth grade, and includes paid, on-the-job training at participating dealerships.
AYES includes a strong mentoring component in which representatives from the school and local dealerships assume the responsibility to educate, guide and encourage students throughout their participation in AYES.
Once AYES students graduate from high school and receive their AYES certificates, they are well qualified to be hired as entry-level service technicians. They will have a strong foundation in automotive systems, including electronics, and they will have solid on-the-job experience as well. The AYES experience also prepares students to continue studying for two-year or four-year college degree in automotive technology or a related field if that is where their career path takes them.
Technical Skills
AYES-defined technical competencies are based on the technical skill sets identified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)(Outside Source) and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF)(Outside Source). ASE is an independent organization that certifies the skills attained by technicians and approves the curriculum of schools offering programs in automotive technology. NATEF, a separate nonprofit organization within the ASE organization, is responsible for the program evaluation process and makes recommendations for ASE program certification based on its evaluation.
The course that an individual AYES student will take depends, in part, on scheduling strategies at the local school and on the specific needs of the participating dealerships. But in all cases the goal is to provide as thorough a technical foundation as possible in the time available. Both the school automotive instructor and the dealership mentor will assess the student's progress in the following areas:
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Brakes
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Electrical/electronic systems
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Engine performance
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Suspension/steering
Employability Skills
AYES employability skills are drawn from levels one and two of the Professional Development Program designed by SkillsUSA (Outside Source), a national organization serving more than 225,000 high school students in 12,000 chapters. The Professional Development Program enables educators (and employers) to guide students in the development of a range of real-world employment skills.
Through their participation in SkillsUSA and their on-the-job experiences, AYES students will have a head start in developing many valuable professional skills, including but not limited to the following abilities:
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Ability to complete a job application successfully and interview for a job
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Ability to develop a resume and an employment portfolio
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Ability to present a favorable, businesslike image
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Communication skills
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Interpersonal skills
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Stress management skills
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Time management skills
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Effective self-motivation techniques
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Standard business/social etiquette competencies
Key Partners, Current and Future AYES Locations
Learn more about the key partners involved in the AYES program as well as current and future California AYES locations.
Contact Information
AYES is administered by:
California Department of Education
Secondary, Postsecondary,
and Adult Leadership Division
Regional Occupational Centers and Programs and Workforce Development
Unit
1430 N Street, Suite 4503
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dennis J. Guido, Administrator
916-322-5050
dguido@cde.ca.gov
Dara Dubois, Consultant
916-445-7754
Steve Ford, California AYES Director
310-279-9397
steve.ford@ayes.org
