McNeil High School’s popular automotive program is helping fill the demand for skilled automotive technicians and now Honda is helping those students prepare for their future.
The program is currently at full capacity with more than 100 students enrolled. Each of those students will have expanded opportunities for hands-on experience thanks to Honda’s donation of two vehicles to the program.
“Almost every automotive dealership in the Central Texas area is actively looking for skilled technicians,” McNeil automotive teacher Ryan Arnold said. “This program gives Honda an advantage to get them before the other manufacturers.”
The McNeil automotive program is an accredited National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) program, which allows the campus to partner with the Austin Community College automotive program.
According to the Austin Community College, a Honda PACT (Professional Automotive Career Training) partnering program website, understands the need for local high school automotive programs to receive access and support to current training aids and modern vehicles in order to better prepare students for careers in the automotive industry.
The automotive program is a four-year course of study and students transition to hands-on training in their second year.
“We need vehicles for the students to practice on that don’t need to drive someone home at the end of the day,” Arnold said. “The Honda vehicles are a perfect way for the students to practice removing and reinstalling parts without the worry of finishing the project by the end of the class period. It also lets students familiarize themselves with Honda/Acura vehicles.
“If they attend Austin Community College for Automotive, they will be more likely to enter into the specific Honda training program. This program guarantees them employment once they pass a certain level of training.”
Learn more about Round Rock ISD’s Career and Technical Education.
