Thanks to support from Jaime Gonzalez, ATL Regional Director in Orange County, the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association Automotive Technology Competition Finals were held virtually and provided an important opportunity for the county’s high school students to learn automotive skills and connect to area employers.
The competition began with a field of hundreds of students from 11 Orange County high schools and ended May 1 with 28 students competing in the final round. OCADA worked with community college faculty to design an interactive online test on the e-learning platform Electude, another event sponsor. The online learning platform mimics gaming technology, allowing students to manipulate tools and parts as they would in real life.
“Orange County’s dealers are thrilled to host this annual competition that recognizes the technical expertise of local automotive High School students and introduces them to excellent career opportunities our industry provides,” said OCADA Deputy Executive Director Kim McPhaul. “Our college faculty volunteers and event sponsors are crucial to the success of this event!”
The top 15 students each received a $750 scholarship to an Orange County community college, as well as prizes from Snap-On Tools.
Gonzalez said the ATL sector was proud to support such an important program and ensure that it could continue in a virtual format.
The competition is part of OCADA’s Service Technician Development program, which also includes scholarships, recruiting events, and a website that houses job postings and other resources. For more information, visit ocada.org/technician-development.
