As a student in an automotive technology class, you are acquiring the basic skills and knowledge you’ll need to succeed as an entry-level technician. It’s a good beginning to what will become a familiar part of your chosen career. Ongoing training is as much a part of becoming a successful technician as a good set of tools. In fact, the training you attend throughout your career will be an essential part of your repair and diagnostic tool kit.
The need for update training for automotive technicians is continually growing. Not only is automotive technology becoming more sophisticated, but state and federal regulations are becoming more demanding for the vehicle service industry. Technicians must be able to identify and participate in quality training, and may need to show documentation that they have attended specific training in order to perform certain types of repairs, particularly those emission-related. Once you get on the job, the best way to identify the quality ongoing training you’ll need is through the ASE CASE program.
The Continuing Automotive Service Education (CASE) program helps technicians identify quality in-service training providers and recognizes those that meet the CASE standards with ASE certification. Developed as 3rd-party standard for in-service training, CASE helps “level the playing field” by giving technicians a quality standard for reference when evaluating training needs. The National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) evaluates the training providers’ process of developing and delivering training and then recommends certification.
The process of achieving this type of ASE certification is thorough. Training providers order CASE materials (Standards, Application, Polices/Procedures) from NATEF and complete a self-evaluation. The provider then submits copies of their completed application for review by NATEF. Next, a one-day onsite evaluation is scheduled and undertaken with an Evaluation Team Leader (ETL) and team members. After the onsite evaluation, the ETL makes a report and recommendation to NATEF for certification of the training provider. NATEF reviews the report and circulates it to the members of the In-Service Training Committee. With committee agreement, NATEF notifies the provider that they have received ASE certification. If the provider is not eligible for certification, NATEF will identify the areas needing improvement. There is a three-year certification cycle with an update report required after years one and two. Recertification uses the same process as the initial certification. Certified training providers must also agree to abide by the principles outlined in the CASE Training Provider’s Code of Ethics.
There also are some significant benefits to using a CASE training provider when it comes to building up your career training portfolio. ASE-certified training providers may issue CASE Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for completed training. In addition, the American Council on Education recommends college credits for most ASE certifications, and these credit recommendations are included on the ASE Career File Transcript as well.
To learn more about the CASE program and what it can do for you, visit the ASE website at www.ase.com and click on the NATEF icon from the Main Menu, then select CASE from the NATEF homepage.
