The National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation recently issued master accreditation for collision repair and refinishing services to Ivy Tech Community College Northeast’s Automotive Technology program. The program already maintains master accreditation for automobile services.
NATEF is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of automotive technician training programs at secondary, post-secondary, public and proprietary schools nationwide.
“Accreditation is a very labor intensive process that involves composing more than 1,000 pages of documentation, evaluation by an advisory board, evaluation by third-party individuals and support by college administration,” says Nick Goodnight, Ivy Tech Northeast automotive technology instructor and project lead on the accreditation process.
According to NATEF’s website, accreditation provides credibility, prestige and recognition to select automotive training programs. Schools benefit from potential enrollment and funding increases; students benefit from access to high-quality programs and solid career opportunities; employers benefit from highly trained entry-level technicians and connections with accredited schools.
“Our auto body repair concentration is now one of only two NATEF-accredited options in Indiana,” says Jaron Grayless, automotive technology instructor. “This recognition is not only an endorsement of the caliber of our faculty, but it’s one that will serve our students well as they begin their careers.”
Earlier this year, Ivy Tech Northeast’s Automotive Technology program achieved additional accolades. The American Technical Education Association named it the country’s 2016 Outstanding Technical Program. Also, the College entered into a partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s Mopar Career Automotive Program, or Mopar CAP, to create a next-generation employment pipeline for Mopar-certified automotive technicians who will service Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram vehicles.
For more information on the Automotive Technology program, contact its chair, Bob Huffman, at 260-481-2247 or visit IvyTech.edu/automotive-technology.
