careerFocus
Feature
Finding a Career You Love
“I’m working in a field where I look forward to clocking in. I look forward to coming to school.”
– Tim Forte
C
By Michael Kelly
work I’d done in the MCC Auto Lab
that landed the job.”
areer success did not
come on the first try for
Tim Forte, a student
in the Automotive
Technology program
at Mott Community
College. But he
eventually found
the type of career he was looking
for through a chance experience
working on his car and through his
automotive classes at Mott.
Forte found that his schooling and
work perfectly reinforced each other.
The skills he has learned at Mott
College prepared him for the work
at Walmart and the opportunity
to work in Walmart’s service area
makes him want to learn more in his
classes. “Even when I’m at Walmart
working with the cars,” he said, “it
gives me happiness, a personal love
for it. It’s like being in the Auto Lab
at MCC. It’s fun.”
Unlike many of his neighbors, Flint
native Tim Forte wasn’t from an
automotive family. He was born to
a military family and grew up at
various places around the country.
Spending a life moving from place
to place was difficult and Tim Forte
found himself drawn into a rough
street culture. “Back when I was
younger, I strayed off from where I
should be and got caught up in some
bad things.”
When he finally returned to his
hometown, he still didn’t think of
the automotive industry as a career.
Graduating from Flint’s Central
High School, he went on to study
computers at Baker College but
found he didn’t enjoy the program.
The computer field didn’t fit for
Forte. “I just didn’t really like a sit
down job,” he related, “I wanted to
focus on something to love. One day
I had something wrong with my car
and I went out and was messing
with my car. The joy that it brought
me to work on my own car - that’s
when I knew that’s what I wanted to
do as a career. I found my love.”
It wasn’t a decision he took lightly.
He researched the cost of education
and the automotive program and
found out that Mott College was the
best place.
That choice brought him to MCC’s
Automotive Technology program.
“When I came to Mott College,
I found that they take a more
personal approach to working with
students. If someone needs more
help with some aspect they will do
more hands-on or one-on-one, which
is a lot better. When I had my first
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The Mott College experience has
been a good one for Forte.
class with Mr. Matt Roda, I gained
so much knowledge of things I didn’t
know. It made me want to learn
more.”
At Mott College, Forte found the
pathway to the career he wanted.
Automotive Technology is an area
where you get to use your hands
and it requires high level technical
knowledge and problem solving
ability. Students in the program
get the knowledge from instructors
that all have real-world experience
working in automotive repair shops,
but they also get the benefit of
working on shop cars and actual
customer cars. Mott has 14 shop
cars, including four hybrid vehicles
and cars as new as the 2010 Ford
Fusion. Students also have plenty
of opportunity to work on actual
customer cars. As Forte stated, “The
learning experience always gives
you something new that you actually
get to work on. You get actual
customer cars that are out on the
road, cars that have the real wear
and tear on them. On customer cars
you experience what you would in
the field. Sometimes when you fix
one thing some other problem will
occur, so you get actual experience.”
The program is structured where
students work on shop cars during
the specific content area courses,
such as Brakes and Braking
Systems. But once students have
demonstrated the appropriate skills,
they take the Service Floor I and
Service Floor II classes that work
just like real automotive service
shops. Customers bring in cars with
a wide variety of problems and the
students diagnose the problems,
order the parts and make the
repairs like they would on the job,
all under the supervision of ASE
Master Certified instructors.
At first, his family didn’t know what
to make of his new passion, but as
they saw his love for the new found
career they began to support him.
“Now anytime I’m around my family,
they start to tell me something
about their car. Friends and family
are always texting me about
something about their car. I love it.
My family supports me. Because of
the knowledge I’ve gained here at
Mott College I now have a position
as an automotive technician.”
Soon Tim Forte was hired by
Walmart to work in their auto repair
shop while he continued his studies
at MCC. “One of the managers
knew I was going to school for Auto
Tech. She talked to the manger
that was hiring for the automotive
position and let him know that I was
in school at Mott College so they
wouldn’t have to do much training,”
Forte said, “It was because of the
According to Forte, “Coming in
not having a background was
intimidating. I thought I’d get in
there and they’d talk to me about
cars and I wouldn’t know what they
were saying. So I asked Mr. Roda,
‘Do you think a person without a
background in automotive can make
it in an automotive position?’ Mr.
Roda told me, ‘Yes, that is why you
are here. We’re going to teach you.’”
Forte explained, “When we are in the
auto lab the faculty hold us to the
industry standards that we would
be held to if we were in a shop,
from safety rules and regulations to
doing repairs according to industry
standards. Each class that you take
guides you to the next one. So you
are prepared before you get there.
It’s pretty cool.”
MCC’s faculty has been a strong
reason for Forte’s success. “They
understand and always take the
time to teach you and take the
initiative to make sure you are
keeping up with the course,” he
recalls. “They take an interest in
you not just on an educational level;
they aren’t just looking at you like
a paying student. When I see my
instructors they know my name;
they know almost everybody in my
class by name. The professors at
MCC talk to us, joke around us with
us and know us on a personal level,
unlike other places.”
Forte encourages others interested
in the field to consider Mott College.
“If a person really wants to learn,
they can learn at MCC. Mott College
mott community college I www.mcc.edu
I 810-762-0200
Helping to Pay for College with the
American Opportunity Tax Credit
Although many students at Mott Community College (or other colleges
for that matter) qualify for financial aid and grants, there are always
a large number of students who will pay for their tuition and other
educational expenses with cash. Those people should be aware of the
American Opportunity Tax Credit.
has the right teaching methods. They
give you the knowledge to pass the
Michigan Mechanics Certification
tests and the knowledge and skills
to pass the National Institute for
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
certified tests. The MCC faculty will
help you study for the tests, help you
get to where you need to go. They
even help you get jobs.”
I should do. Even though when I first
started to go I was intimidated by
people who had more knowledge than
me, if it’s something you love you
have to fight for it. I’m able to get out
and fix my own car or cars of family
or friends. When my classmates get
together outside of school and have
a car issue we can ask the teacher
about it.”
But the most important part of Tom
Forte’s experience has been the
discovery of a love for cars that can
carry him into a rewarding career
and a happy life.
Summing up, Forte stated, “You’ve got
to find something that you like and
something that you struggle with can
be your greatest triumph.”
“It’s like being lost and trying to find
yourself,” he said, “That’s how it is
with your career field. Some people
go to school over and over again and
never find what they love. I found
the love of something. When I found
it I knew instantly that this was what
According to the US Department of
Labor, the median annual wage of
automotive service technicians and
mechanics is $35,790. Employment
of automotive service technicians and
mechanics is expected to grow 17% by
2020 so job opportunities for qualified
jobseekers should be very good.
Under the American Opportunity Tax Credit, students can received
up to $2,500 in tax credits each year when they file and, if not liable
for any taxes, can receive up to $1,000 as a cash refund if no taxes are
owed. This credit is available for the first four years of postsecondary
undergraduate education.
While $2,500 may not go very far at most colleges, with the low tuition
rates at MCC, that tax credit would cover a large portion of any
student’s education expenses.
The full credit is available to individuals whose modified adjusted gross
income is $80,000 or less, or $160,000 or less for married couples filing a
joint return. The credit is phased out for taxpayers with incomes above
these levels.
Along with reimbursing out-of-pocket tuition payments, the credit can
be applied to required course material, such a textbooks. Students must
be taking at least 6 credit hours during a semester to receive this tax
credit.
For more information, check with your tax advisor or go to
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=211309,00.html
Details about a Career in Automotive Technology
T
he U.S. Department of Labor
reports strong job growth
in the field of automotive
service technology. According
to the Department’s job outlook,
“The number of jobs for automotive
service technicians and mechanics
is projected to grow faster than
average for all occupations over the
next decade.”
Even in today’s challenging
economic times, the field of
automotive repair continues to be
bright. A recent Wall Street Journal
article included auto repair in its
“Five Businesses to Start in a Bad
Economy”, stating that, “with gas
prices high and the economy weak,
people are liable to hang onto their
cars, rather than trading them in
for a new model every three or four
years, creating lots of opportunity
for automotive repair.”
MCC offers an Associate’s Degree
in Applied Sciences (Automotive
Technology), which requires
I
completion of 70 credit hours, 53 of
which are directly Auto Tech classes.
MCC also offers a Certificate in
Automotive Underbody Repair,
which requires completion of 31
credit hours.
The Associate Degree in Automotive
Technology at Mott Community
College provides a comprehensive
program of advanced studies in
automobile maintenance and
repair. The program prepares a
person for a variety of occupations
in the automotive industry. It
emphasizes skills to help the
person function successfully in the
world of work including exposure
to new technology as it evolves
so that the skills necessary to
become comfortable with change
are developed. A key component
emphasized is the ability to be
self-directed and learn skills
that enable technicians to learn
on their own throughout their
careers. The values evidenced
throughout the curriculum include
810-762-0200 www.mcc.edu I mott community college
the dignity of work and pride in a
job well done, caring instruction,
enthusiasm toward the work, and
professionalism in the work manner
in which it is accomplished.
MCC is the only college in Genesee
County to be NATEF certified in all
8 ASE areas. MCC also covers all of
the standards and tasks needed to
successfully pass any of the 8 ASE
Auto Repair certification tests. MCC
also offers its automotive classes
during the day and in the evening
to accommodate everyone’s busy
schedule.
Program Goals:
• Certification by the State of
Michigan in a multiple automotive
specialty areas.
• Skills to achieve certification by
the NATEF/ASE.
• Gaining the skills and knowledge
to function successfully as a
professional.
• Motivation and skills to be an
effective self-directed learner.
• Mastering the skills of learning
how to learn in order to grow
professionally.
A graduate with this degree may
be employed as a:
• Service Writer
• Line Technician
• Technical Report Writer
• Ground Technician
• Proving Ground Technician
• Fleet Manager
Auto Repair Specialist in any or
all the following areas:
• Brakes
• Steering and Suspension Systems
• Automatic Transmissions
• Manual Transmissions
• Electrical Circuits
• Engine Performance
• Engine Repair
• Heating, Ventilation and Air
Conditioning
CareerFocus I Summer 2012
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