Hi Bob,

I'm going to jump in here in response to your questions to my colleague, Matt Haugh, "as a representative of ASE". Matt is our newest addition to the Test Development Department and is managing our School Bus Tests. Matt thought the article he linked in his post offered some support to the information contained in the ROI article that started this thread. So on to your questions.

One of the biggest challenges facing ASE/NATEF is engaging the younger generation to be interested in choosing the automotive service and repair industry for their career. For those who are interested, a significant challenge is having these folks commit themselves to achieving the education necessary to obtain the knowledge necessary to be successful as an automotive service professional.

ASE certification can be a motivator for this effort. As Andrew Gibson identifies in his post, ASE certification was a goal that challenged him to learn more and enhance his skills to grow and be the best at his craft. He states "…. After reading your post I started thinking about all the doors that would have been closed had I not become a master tech. That was followed by how much I made before I gained the education and experience to meet the goals of being a master tech and how much I've made from jobs that require it."

This is a great testimonial, and an excellent example of the true mission of ASE as crafted by the founding-fathers back in 1972. In keeping with this mission, some of the goals of ASE/NATEF are to create a conduit for promoting education for automotive service professionals, not just at the beginning of their career, but all the way through their career.

The establishment of the Industry Education Alliance is a great example of how ASE/NATEF have committed to this goal. Through the efforts of the affiliated organizations of ASE, NATEF, AYES and ATMC, there is support for automotive professional's educational needs. NATEF provides the program accreditation, AYES provides a school-to-work mentorship program, and ATMC members provide on-going training to assist technicians, at all levels of knowledge and experience, throughout their careers.

These type of initiatives that ASE/NATEF are engaging in are truly in an effort to increase the value that ASE provides to the individuals and the industry that we serve. Through this type of focus, it is ASE's goal to live on in the service of the industry and in support of the professionals who have chosen it for their career.

John Tisdale
Technician/Technical Information Specialist
ASE
Leesburg, Virginia, USA