At a Glance
A.W. Beattie Career Center hosted a Regional Collision Career Day during which students participated in mock interviews with representatives from local businesses and attended presentations by local industry leaders.
Overview
A.W. Beattie Career Center invited students from the western Pennsylvania regional network of Automotive Collision Repair programs (encompassing nine career and technology centers, or CTCs) to participate in a Regional Collision Career Day. A local business sponsored the event. During the program, students had the opportunity to hear four local industry leaders present on their products and to participate in mock interviews with representatives from local businesses.
Origin / Implementation
The first Regional Collision Career Day occurred during the 2015-2016 school year, on October 27, 2015. The A.W. Beattie Auto Collision Repair instructors and the Cooperative Education Coordinator planned the event over the course of three months. Their impetus to create this event was two-fold. First, they wanted students to gain experience participating in job interviews and to be exposed to the resources, products, and equipment currently being used in the industry. Many of these are not used yet at the career and technology centers. Second, they wanted business and industry representatives to learn more about career and technical education and to meet automotive collision students and instructors. They decided to invite instructors and students from the nine other CTCs in the region to provide an opportunity for attendees to network with each other and share resources.
Results / Impact
Approximately 70 students attended the Regional Collision Career Day. Students, instructors, and local businesses all benefitted from participating in the event. Students gained valuable interviewing experiences and, along with their instructors, learned about the latest developments in the industry. The instructors also gained insight about what new equipment is being used and what they should be teaching their students. Finally, participating businesses benefitted by making connections with the students who are potential future employees.
For the 2016-2017 school year, the organizers plan to develop an Automotive Regional Career Day, to include Collision Repair, Auto Technology and Diesel students. They also are collaborating with a post-secondary school, where the event will be held. It is a larger facility, and it will allow the students to view and obtain information on a post-secondary school.
Contact
A.W. Beattie Career Center
Pat Ciccone, Auto Collision Instructor
Email: pat.ciccone@beattietech.com
Joe Pelesky, Auto Collision Instructor
Email: joseph.pelesky@beattietech.com
Joanne Vano, Cooperative Education Coordinator
Email: joanne.vano@beattietech.com
