SPC helps create unprecedented 'Seamless automotive program'

by Norma Rodriquez, staff writer

 

South Plains College, the Lubbock Independent School District, the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance, and Texas Tech University are teaming up to create a pathway for students majoring in automotive technology.

Together, they form the Seamless Automotive Technology Program. The goal of this program is to open the doors of opportunity. Instead of limiting students to a one- year certificate or an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Technology at South Plains College, administrators are giving students the opportunity to further their education by attending Texas Tech University’s College of Engineering. There they can receive a master’s degree or doctoral degree in engineering. The idea is to better equip students with knowledge that is needed for the workforce, and to better equip the future employees of the Lubbock community.

About 10 years ago, the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center (ATC) was formed with the Lubbock industry in mind. Educating young students with the proper knowledge for the industry was and is still considered crucial.

Together, the LISD and SPC designed a link from high school to college. Students are able to transfer to SPC with 21 hours in automotive technology. This program emphasizes mathematics and science, both crucial components in the technology industry.

There are no requirements needed to join the program. The teachers at the ATC emphasize the importance of knowledge in the technical field and the many options that come with it.

As Jerry Mitchell, a LISD automotive teacher, said, “It’s not just about fixing cars. About 80 percent of jobs require technical experience.”

He added that anyone can be trained to be an engineer, but understanding the what’s, why’s, and how’s are a different story.

With Texas Tech jumping on board the already existing program created by the LISD and SPC, the program becomes the Seamless Automotive Technology Program. Gary Ham, program coordinator and instructor in automotive technology at SPC, collaborated with Timothy Maxwell of Texas Tech and discovered that the students who were going straight to engineering school needed more hands-on experience. Because there was already a path created from the LISD to SPC, the only thing to figure out was how Texas Tech and SPC could work together. After three to four years of planning and collaborating, the program finally came to fruition.

According to Ham, this fall is the first semester for the Seamless Automotive Program. Eight out of 25 students participating at SPC are already signed up for the Seamless Program to Texas Tech. These students will continue to Texas Tech with six hours of credit.

The Seamless Program is actually the first program of its kind in the state. This program has caught the attention of not only the students but also the surrounding companies. The Ford dealership in Levelland has committed to donate a hybrid vehicle to the program. According to Ham, this is the first hybrid to be donated in the country.

Texas Tech engineering students participate in a competition that challenges their skills. This year, students from LISD and SPC are invited to come along for the competition. This gives the students a chance to collaborate together, as a program, and to have more hands-on experience.

“Who would have thought that a simple conversation would turn into something so big,” Ham said.