In 2005, Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association teamed up with Southland Motor Car Dealers Association and Cerritos College to help encourage young talented High School students with an aptitude for technology to pursue an education in Automotive Technology.

As a collected group both associations represent over 280 new car dealers in Los Angeles County, and our members realize the importance of "growing new talent" for our industry. This competition not only gives an opportunity for competing students to participate in the local and national levels, but will give them first hand experience working in a new car dealership during their internship or job shadowing as they prepare for the competitions.

Last February we had nine schools participate in the Cerritos College Auto Tech Competition. The top two High Schools were sponsored by our associations to attend and participate in the National Auto Tech competition which took place during the International Auto Show in New York last April. This year we are hoping to reach and extend an invitation to as many schools as possible to participate in the local competition as well as get involved in Career Month which will take place this coming October at local participating new car dealerships.

Rules & Information

Entering the Competition (Who, What, When, Where, and How):

Who?

The Competition is open to all Los Angeles County High School Seniors studying automotive technology who are under the age of 21 as of the start of the event (January 2008). The school entering must have at least a two year accredited curriculum in automotive technology and must be willing to grant permission for the team to receive training at a sponsoring dealership and for the students & teacher to attend the local competition as well as the National Competition in New York City.

What?

Each school may enter up to four (4) students to take a written test. The two highest scoring students per school will be paired to determine the school score. The ten (10) highest scoring schools will participate in the local competition. Once the finalists are determined, GLANCDA may match schools with sponsoring dealerships. If the students are matched, the sponsoring dealerships will provide mentoring for the student team, preparing them for the "hands on" competition.

Where?

The 2007-2008 Greater Los Angeles County Automotive Technology Competition will take place on January 26, 2008 at Cerritos College. An awards luncheon will be held immediately following the competition.

When?

The entry deadline is Friday, October 26, 2007. The written test will be given on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at Cerritos College.

How?

The entry process is simple - merely fill out the registration form(s) and fax it to GLANCDA at (310) 578-7518 or mail to:

GLANCDA
420 Culver Blvd.
Playa Del Rey, CA 90293

The Competition:

SCOPE

The Competition covers Engine Management, Vehicle Safety & Chassis/Body Electrical. It is designed to challenge the students by measuring:

• Manual dexterity
• Diagnostic disciplines
• Problem solving and deductive reasoning capabilities
• Performance with measuring tools, meters and other electronic devices
• Abilities to follow wiring diagrams
• Reading comprehension with charts and specs
• Use of resources, i.e. - repair manual, torque wrench
• Professional work habits and attention to detail

FORMAT

There will be six stations - each designed to test the student's knowledge and ability in one specific area. The teams will have 20 minutes to complete the tasks at each station - a worksheet will be provided at each station and teams must complete the worksheet in order to receive credit for the station. Speed is not a factor in the scoring! Students will be scored on how well they worked together and the methods they used to solve each task presented to them. Credit will only be given for correct, complete answers, no partial credit.

SCORING

Each station will have a designated number of tasks or "bugs" for the students to solve. Each task or "bug" has a separate value, some may be worth more than others, but each station will be worth the same amount of points. At the end of the competition, each team's scores from the six stations will be added up to get the team's final score.