DATE: Sunday, May 11, 1997                  TAG: 9705090239

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 30   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BARBARA J. WOERNER, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   73 lines

CARS DONATED BY NISSAN HELP TRAIN TOMORROW'S TECHNICIANS

Among the smorgasbord of tire irons, grease racks and power wrenches in the auto service bays of the Virginia Beach Technical and Career Education Center, sit the older relics from the auto world awaiting student repair.

They are the blue plate specials of auto mechanics and always have been a menu staple in Mark Maund's automotive service technology classes at the school.

Recently, Nissan North America and Hall Nissan of Virginia Beach added two new gourmet items to the heaping plate of automotive knowledge available to students by giving the school a gleaming white 1993 Nissan Infiniti J-30 and a 1992 Sentra SE-R.

The keys were handed over during a recent ceremony to William Moosha, Technical and Career Center principal, by Dave Pickett, service manager of Hall Nissan of Virginia Beach.

``Cars are extremely sophisticated now,'' said Pickett. ``Auto mechanics is so computerized. The notion of hanging an engine from a tree and dropping it into an ancient vehicle isn't how it's done anymore.''

Maund, automotive service technology teacher at the Technical and Career Education Center, agreed with Pickett.

``You've got to be a scientist to know a car these days,'' he said as he placed his hand gently on the flawless fender of the Infiniti. ``The fuel injection system in this car is very sophisticated and I know that I'll also learn things by studying this car.''

The two Nissans are known as ``zipper'' cars. They came from Nissan North America's Washington, D.C., Training Center where they endured various dismantlings and training exercises. The vehicle identification numbers are gone and the end destination for both vehicles after the Technical and Career Center finishes with them is to be crushed at a local salvage yard. Maund, who is thrilled with the acquisition, said that action will not happen anytime soon.

``The great thing about all this is that the industry recognizes that we are a real training center and that our kids are being seriously trained to enter the work force,'' he said.

Currently, most of Maund's students are on internships and many if not all will find jobs upon graduation.

``Just today a local service station called and said, `Hey, can you send us one of your students?' '' he said. ``I had to tell him that I just did not have anyone available to send at this time.''

Maund said there is a current shortage of certified automotive service technicians and that shortage is expected to grow exponentially beyond 2000. The availability of the Nissans' sophisticated technology to Technical and Career Center students is an extra edge to the automotive service technology program, which already boasts certification by the Automotive Service Council of Excellence (ASE) and National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF).

Pickett said that the image of auto repair has not kept pace with the technology it now employs. School curriculums, he said, need to be developed that could help point students toward some aspect of auto service technology as a career choice.

``I can put an ad in the paper for a master technician and not even get one response,'' he said. ``Fifteen years ago, if I put an ad in the paper I'd get the doors knocked down with responses.''

He said the donated cars are an important step and serious commitment by Nissan in helping to alleviate the problem.

``I attended the Technical and Career Center back in the 1970s and they helped me head in this direction,'' Pickett said. ``There's a lot more to our business than turning a wrench along with the opportunity to make good money.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by Barbara J. Woerner

Mark Maund, center, automotive service technology teacher at the

Technical and Career Education Center, gets under the hood of a

donated Nissan Sentra with students Allan Von Mosch, left, and Lee

Willis.

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