 
 
Narrator: Gateway Technical College's Diesel
Equipment Technology Program
provides the hands-on training and
education to prepare students for the
growing number of high-tech
transportation careers.
Diesel Service Technicians inspect and
repair
any vehicle with a diesel engine. They
perform routine maintenance such as oil
changes,
as well as diagnosing, and repairing
failed components.
First class we cover is Fundamentals
and then the next class they do is
Electrical, which their doing now. So we go
through Batteries, Starters,
Alternators, using a meter and then we
give them
Steering Suspension. Thats your first
semester.
And then second semester we give them Brakes,
Drivetrain and Preventive Maintenance, so
thats your first year and that's enough
to get you job at a truck dealer.
Narrator: After just one year in the program
students can earn a technical diploma
designed to prepare an entry-level
Diesel Technician.
Those wishing to further their education
can continue on for another year to
obtain an Associate Degree
in Diesel Equipment Technology. Now the
second year is more for the advanced
stuff, more advance
diagnostics. Your rebuilding engines, doing
fuel systems.
And then the last semester we do
Advanced Fuels,
Emissions, and in the last class, which is  Advanced
Controls, we have some
different trainers from different
companies come in and train the students.
Right now we just started out, but
I like a,
we've done Electronics and general
stuff right now. And I like the welding
that we've done. I like the cutting
and, you know it's just good to 
get your hands dirty.
Narrator: Students will spend approximately
two-thirds of their class time in the
new
12,800 square foot Advanced Propulsion
Lab
gaining hands-on experience. Probably the
the lab lecture mix would be like
one-third
lecture two-thirds lab
and we try to, you know, introduce it
in the classroom, give them the theory,
and then they do the
stuff down at the lab.
Were always learning new things and
you're learning it by doing it.
You're reading about it in class and then the next hour
you're doing it. And that's the best part
about it I think.
Narrator: Classes in Diesel Equipment Technology
are offered at the world class Horizon
Center for Transportation Technology.
I was actually pretty amazed when I first
saw
the facility that they have here. The bays
are great everything's top-notch,
trucks are all clean, and fun to work on. I
think it's a great
building. Narrator: Through a partnership with
Snap-On Incorporated
students will learn how to use the newest
Snap-On diagnostic devices
and obtain Snap-On certifications as
well the.
The relationship we have with Snap-On is great
because
they're able to be exposed to the
latest Snap-On tools.
The equipment is definitely
state-of-the-art. I guess the
partnership and the
sponsorship through Snap-On actually
provided
great tools and some tools I've never
even seen before.
Narrator: Upon completion of the program, graduates
can expect to have a wide range of job
opportunities available to them.
As far as jobs what they're getting when they get
out, a lot of them are working on
trucks. Were getting some guys going to work
on construction equipment.
Were getting some guys, a few guys working
on boats.
 
And some guys working for Ag dealer's.
I would like to work on
pretty much any type of diesel.
Construction equipment would be 
a probably my choice if I were able
to do so.
I want to work on the agricultural side.
I want to work on tractors and I don't know
where yet.
I eventually want to own my own shop. We talk to all the
employers in the area,
they can't find Diesel Mechanics and now
what were seeing now is as soon as they start school
they're getting jobs working on Diesels.
And
the employers like it, we like it, It
kinda reinforces what they learn at
school.
Then the employers try to do the same
thing, like for doing Electrical,
they try to give them electrical at work. Starting pay we see 13-14 bucks an hour
and top being
$35 to $40 an hour. Then we've had some
technicians that graduated two years ago
and now he's a top tech at a dealership
getting top pay.
We've got a good relationship with all the
employers around here.
They're coming to us looking for graduates.
Now they're getting our people as soon as they walk
in the door they're getting jobs.
I think you couldn't go to a better
school.
 
 
 
