Student Competition Sponsored by Local Auto Dealer Associations
Competition winners Kenneth Keo and Jacob Hayhurst with Artesia High School Instructor, Marty Supple
Each year the Southland and Greater Los Angeles auto dealer associations join forces to produce a High School Tech Competition, with the winning teams earning an all-expense paid trip to the National Competition in New York. Testing is completed in two phases, beginning with a written test. The two top students from each school advance to the hands on competition at Cerritos College where they face a three-hour battery of 13 separate testing stations, including an interview station.
The 2016 competition drew students from 14 high schools across LA County. Artesia High School students Jacob Hayhurst and Kenneth Keo took first place for the Southland group.
Local Dealerships Mentor Students, Offer Employment
Teams that advance to the National Competition are assigned a 2016 car they will be working on in New York and are paired up with a master technician at a local dealership.
“Many times the students will get offered jobs at the dealership who brings them in for the training before they go to New York” said Todd Leutheuser, Executive Director for the Southland Motor Car Dealers Association (SMCDA).
This year’s team will be working on a Mazda 3 and have been honing their testing skills and becoming familiar with the car at Browning Mazda for the last three weeks.
Instructor Marty Supple will accompany the SMCDA-sponsored team to the national competition and couldn’t be happier. “Jacob and Kenneth are top notch guys and I am proud of their efforts. This is a great way for them to get a head start with their chosen career. The exposure they are getting is priceless.”
The SMCDA represents franchised new car dealerships in the southern portion of Los Angeles County and actively participates in educational endeavors, including providing scholarships for automotive students. For more information, contact Todd Leutheuser at (562) 986-2161.
