The extent of some people's automotive repair knowledge is putting air in their tires. Heck, some people can't even do that. That's what makes automotive technicians so valuable.

More information We-Mo-Co Vocational/ Technical Center 3599 Big Ridge Road Spencerport, NY 14559 (716) 352-2471 Monroe Community College Automotive Technology 1000 East Henrietta Road Rochester, NY 14623 (716) 292-3700

In addition to performing routine maintenance such as tune-ups, technicians must be able to troubleshoot and determine appropriate adjustments or repairs.

According to Dustin Swanger, assistant vice president for Workforce Development and dean of technical education at Monroe Community College, auto technicians today must be highly skilled.

"In the past you learned a few things from your father and then you went and worked at a gas station,'' he said. "Today, you've got highly technical components that weren't on cars before.''

Jim Monaghan, district manager for area Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. retail stores, agrees.

"The field has completely changed in the past 10 years,'' he said. "Every car comes with computers on it.''

Because of this, says Joe Salemi, building principal at the We-Mo-Co Vocational/ Technical Center in Spencerport, "technicians need a lot more understanding of low-voltage electronics.''

MCC offers an associate degree apprentice training program, which combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training at area dealerships.

We-Mo-Co's two-year secondary school program is similar and is aligned with the educational arm of the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence. Students intern at a dealership during one semester of the program, which can often lead to employment following high school.

While an associate's degree is not a must for employment at Goodyear, a technician must be Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified and must own his or her own set of tools. Monaghan says technicians can then get further training through Goodyear's company-paid program.

According to the 1996-97 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook the field is growing due to the increase in the number of people driving, the number of cars on the road and what Monaghan calls "a shortage of technicians.''

The Handbook also notes that the median salary in '94 was $439 per week.

The top 10 percent made more than $800 per week. Monaghan said he has technicians in his district making more than $50,000 annually.

-- MICHAEL BUSS
Democrat and Chronicle