May want to check out Ohio Technical College as well. They now have a restoration program: http://www.ohiotechnicalcollege.com/classic_car_restoration I also hear there's an auto restoration program starting at a college somewhere in Boston. Not sure which college that is, though. dan
My brother is currently going to School of Automotive Machinists (SAM Racing) in Houston and loves it. He is building my nailhead there and works all the way up through late model huge horsepower LSX mills. I toured through there with him a few weeks ago and was amazed at the resources they have and the family atmosphere of the school. There is a basic mechanics test to get in, but thats because the school and everyone there is attending for interests beyond doing oil changes at a dealership upon graduation. If interested you can PM me or him on my friends list. Just thought I'd throw the school in the ring because of what they, and my brother have accomplished thus far.
I go to McPherson College's Auto Restoration Program....I can totally vouch for the program...I have had interior trim, electrical, paint, and I am on my third sheet metal class. Just the improvement of my sheet metal and welding skills alone is worth moving out here. I have honestly learned more in the past two semesters than I was ever expecting to. I think what sets MAC apart from the other schools, is it's a four year program and you end up with a Bachelors when it's all said and done...the school is really heavy on entrepreneurship which is really helpful to those wanting to start their own businesses etc. The school actually just did a round of micro grants geared towards helping students start a sustainable business plan. I got one and bought a consew and I have been doing interior side jobs in my dorm room. I will post a few pics of my work and I can put you in touch with the gal in charge of advancement for the AR program if you would like.
Never heard of McPhearson, but based on what Frankie said, I'm all for it! Automotive training based on hands-on, old fashioned work. Not all computers. Fabrication over parts buying. Real skill and common sense!
The high school auto programs are closing in Texas thanks to our govenor Rick Perry. It seems he is against C.A.T.E. programs ( Carrer and Technology Education).I teach High School autobody and collision. High School auto programs are dying out. Here in San Antonio,TX we only have a handfull of high school Collision shops and after this year two more are closing never to reopen (very sad). High School auto programs are what generates young minds to go into the auto industry.I have visited most of the vocational colleges UTI,WYO,WESTERN TECH......,and they are all great schools in there own right. Plain and simple: students going through an auto program at the college level will get what he or she puts in to it. I have to say if the JJ is going to give away a scholarship give it to where its matters the most. To a student at the high school level. I should not really be saying this,but the state of Texas gives us teachers our TEKS to teach, which is our curriculum. Me being a hotrodder at heart sometimes shies away from my TEKS. I had one of my 32 5 window coupes at my H.S. shop and showed students how to do sheet metal work,how to lead. I also built a 32 chassis at our shop. Were always working on some sort of hotrod at my H.S. In the summer time I give two students jobs at my personal shop building traditional hotrods.I think it is a great the JJ is thinking about giving away a scholarship.
Great idea,Ryan. Our car club has one with the local trade high school.We raised $5K and donated it to the school.They put it in with their other scholarship funds and manage it for us. Each year the instructors in the automotive class select a recipient who will be going on to a trade school and they give him the interest which stays about the same each year. This way once us old guys go away, the scholarship will live on. In the event no one goes on to school,the $$ stay in the fund. That's just how we set it up. I hope this helps. Glenn
x2, only one school with an auto shop in our whole county. My little brother is in high school now and the "shop" program they have is pathetic. Edit: FWIW, I went to Wyotech in '05 after taking some basic classes at the local community college, and Wyotech was a major waste of money, all the same shit but with a dress code...
This is a great idea! As Cruzer said, an 'Endowment Fund' seems to be the way to go. The principle is never spent, only the earnings on it are awarded as scholarships. The Fund can be added to over time and the Scholarship would live on forever. Donating to High School shop programs seems like a good idea at first until you consider all the bullshit politics and funding of local school boards and administrators and how things change from year to year. I'm all for McPherson or one of the other post-secondary schools.
I've heard that from onther places online about some of those schools. Money is running (or ruining) this country. We dont have any. Music and shop classes are first to get chopped, then the "less-popular" sports...my daughters swim team almost got the axe. Get the kids involved and make your voice heard or this stuff is GONE!
I wonder if TJJ/HAMB could partner with Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage to educate some worthy individual. The scholarship could be used to pay living expenses while they apprentice at the garage. I nominate me as the first apprentice....
A lot of great ideas here. I really like the idea of helping graduates get started in a real shop, real job. It "doubles down" by helping the kids get started AND helping shop owners find new talent. If the financial resources being considered could be used to help finance the employees' tools or partly subsidize their salary to incent the employer, everybody wins. Whatever is decided, I'm sure Ryan will "do it right" and keep it fair. Hopefully you can think of a way for HAMBers to contribute. I'll definitely support this.
Why not take that money and start a foundation? The foundation could hold the money, re-invest the money, and the interest earned would be the actually scholarship money given out every year. That way it could sustain itself. ~Jason
I say the Hot Rod Institute in Rapid City, SD. I saw it on GEARZ and looked into it. It looks like the students take their own car and build them. That seems cool because they are getting real world experience on a car that they want to work on. Just my $.02 Ryan
when i graduated from Los Angeles trade Tech for Automotive Collision. 2 of the best students were awarded $10K in Snap On tools. it was called Tools for Success. i was lucky to be picked and yes i still have the tools and was very grateful to have them. i was also handed a job to work at, an upscale collision shop. every tool came in handy.
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