Students from Mentor Schools are carving out futures in the new Classic Automotive Training Center
By Mimi Vanderhaven
When local businesses and education collaborate, doors are opened for students, career paths are forged, and mountains can be moved.
Case in point is the partnership between Mentor Schools and Classic Auto Group.
Housed within an existing building on Tyler Boulevard, the Classic Automotive Training Center, which opened last August, is home to the new Mentor Schools’ Automotive Technology Program. It houses a classroom, fully equipped tool room, state-of-the-art lab, and three car lifts for students to learn the skills needed to inspect and perform service on vehicles.
“If you have a sincere desire to be in the automotive trade or any mechanical trade, this will give you a foot in the door,” says Auto Service Technology Instructor Anthony Rozman. “I tell my students every start of the year that I’m excited to be with them because they are starting their careers here.”
Dr. Joseph Glavan, who is the career-technical education director at Mentor High School, reports that the idea for the center originated with Classic Auto Group Owner Jim Brown and Service Director Jim Hawk.
“These gentlemen were tireless in their willingness to assist and ensure we were able to provide this opportunity for our students,” says Dr. Glavan.
There are currently 23 students enrolled in the program, and they are projecting 29 for the 2021/22 school year.
The best news is, there is growing demand for automotive field technicians/mechanics in our area.
According to the Ohio Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, there is projected annual growth of 19% in the automotive field technician/mechanic career field, with over 1,000 anticipated openings over the next year in Northeast Ohio.
Students also have the opportunity for a work-based learning experience in the automotive field and currently several students are completing paid internships with Classic Automotive or other area businesses.
The collaboration is just another in many that have been made over the past several years following Superintendent Bill Porter’s initiative to expand community partnerships to open doors of opportunity for students to prepare for their future.
The Mentor School system educates 7,400 students from pre-K to 12th grade in seven elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school and one school for students with autism.