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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ref. 2439 January 6, 2005 North Iowa Area Community College Gains Recognition for Automotive Program The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announces that North Iowa Area Community College received the Award for Excellence in Automotive Service for its postsecondary automotive program. The award is sponsored by ACTE, Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), and the Automotive Planning Council. The award was presented at the ACTE Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo, December 10th in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Automotive Technology program at NIACC has but one simple goal – ensure that its students are prepared for employment in the automotive service industry. According to NIACC annual placement reports, this goal is being met regularly with 100 percent of the Automotive Service Technology graduates employed, eight out of the last eleven years. The program, which is Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) certified, receives great support from the college. This support is evident through the program’s state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. Each of the ASE certified instructors are experienced in working in the automotive industry, and bring their real-life experiences into the classroom to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving. Their industry experiences allow them to model the soft skills as well, such as teamwork, customer service and professional dress. A former student comments, "The instructors were very helpful and well educated, but most importantly they had past experiences in the field and were able to bring real-world situations and repair methods into the classroom." With several articulation agreements with area high schools, the NIACC and the automotive program itself are in tune with the needs of their education and business community. High school students can get ahead start by earning a few credits. Program graduates can also transfer credit towards a baccalaureate degree at the University of Northern Iowa. The program also has several partnerships set up with area businesses. "We have hired several graduates from the NIACC automotive program and each time we have been more than pleased with the individuals’ ability to perform in a real world environment," states a business industry representative. The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the national professional association for the field of career and technical education. Now in its 78th year, ACTE’s membership numbers more than 30,000 teachers, counselors and administrators at the middle school, high school and postsecondary levels. ##### |
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