Project helps train auto mechanics
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
Darrel Amodo was 10 years old when he started peering under the hood of his older cousin's car, asking questions and oohing and aahing as his cousin deftly fixed this or that and fielded the child's queries.
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Now, seven years later, the Waipahu High School senior is the one able to answer the questions as part of a pilot summer project designed to build up the number of young people heading into community college training programs for automotive technicians.
At Honolulu Community College's automotive center in Iwilei, instructor Ivan Nitta, left, offers Waipahu High School students some hands-on learning about cars. Students in the pilot program include, from left, Pamela Burchette, Brad Suan and Jose Nieva.
"We're like the test subjects," says Amodo, of the unique program that's a partnership among Honolulu Community College, Waipahu High School, First Hawaiian Bank and Cutter Management Company.
"Cars are like a passion to me," Amodo says. "If there's a problem, I'm more motivated."
When Amodo starts his final year of high school in September, he'll have four college credits in automotive engineering, plus a summer internship at Cutter to his credit.
While HCC and Leeward Community College together turn out about 60 newly minted automotive technicians every year, it's still not enough to provide the new people necessary annually to service the more than 1 million vehicles on O'ahu alone.
HCC Chancellor Ramsey Pedersen said the demand for trained mechanics is so great that 90 percent of those who go through the HCC program are hired before graduation. Starting salaries range anywhere from $8 to $15 an hour, said HCC instructor Ivan Nitta, while mechanics with five years' experience earn from $50,000 to $70,000 annually with the prospect of that going as high as $100,000.
"Nick Cutter was saying, 'We can't find enough technicians to service all the vehicles,' " said Pedersen, who, as HCC chancellor leaped at the chance to offer a summer pilot program to nine Waipahu High School students this year, and another 20 next summer and the summer after that.
"He wants to give them a leg up to get them out the door."
With First Hawaiian Bank chipping in $60,000 to pay for the three-year pilot program, Waipahu High offered it to interested students; HCC provided the equipment, toolboxes, instructor and space; and Cutter threw in internships.
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Every day for six weeks through the end of July, the high schoolers show up at 7:30 a.m. at the cavernous HCC automotive center in Iwilei to listen to instructor Nitta. He's taking apart an engine, one piece at a time.
Automotive students Darrel Amodo and Ralph Gonda go over a checklist identifying tools at the HCC summer program.
Behind them on a red mechanics' "lift" is an $80,000 silver Dodge Viper, one of the "tools" of the trade for the young would-be auto mechanics. Next to the Viper sits a Chrysler Sebring, a Chevy Z28, a Dodge Ram, a Camaro, all donations from dealerships so the students have the latest vehicles to work on. During the year, these cars are supplemented with private automobiles brought in by individual owners willing to take a chance on student work in exchange for cheaper prices.
Annually local and national automotive dealers provide $300,000 to $400,000 worth of goods and services to help keep the program supplied, including new and older cars and trucks for students to train on.
"General Motors considers this one of the premier training programs in the country," Pedersen said. "When I was dean I made a deal to allow them (dealerships, manufacturers, parts houses, etc.) to use our center for factory training. In return they support the program with in-kind contributions like cars, manuals, electronic equipment, tools. We couldn't run it without them."
As high schools increasingly look at adding new "academies" to their programs to give students a taste of future careers, Waipahu High is beefing up its offerings in the areas of business, computers and technology.
"We're looking at a career focus, which is what my students are about," said Pat Pedersen, Waipahu High principal and the spouse of HCC's Pedersen. "The 'academy' concept is a big part of restructuring all the high schools (to create) real life career connections."
Daryl Tolentino, 19, is one of those hoping to get into the HCC automotive program in the fall, and has spent four years at Waipahu High in the introductory programs. But even as he was taking classes, he was tinkering with his own '92 Honda Civic. At 17 he pulled out the engine and put in a '95 model to soup it up, using the Internet at times for help, and even managing to figure out converting the fives wires in the emission system to four in the newer engine.
"You get used to working on it," said Tolentino, who started taking auto mechanics as a high school freshman. "It gets easier and easier."
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.
