What is AYES?

 

Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) is a partnership among participating automotive manufacturers, participating dealers, and selected high schools/tech prep schools. It is designed to encourage young people to consider rewarding careers in retail automotive service and to prepare them for entry-level positions as technicians or advanced studies in automotive technology.

 

Through its dealership and school partners, AYES strives to enhance the public image of dealerships and dealership careers, build local partnerships between dealerships and high quality schools, and foster positive working environments in dealerships. The high schools and vocational-technical schools selected for AYES have NATEF ASE certified automotive technology programs.

 

In addition to promoting automotive careers at the local level, participating dealerships are asked to get involved with their school's Occupational Advisory Committee, sponsor one or more students for paid internships, support PAAF apprenticeship programs and promote awareness of the PAAF scholarship program.

 

What is different about an AYES school?

 

The high schools and vocational-technical schools selected for AYES have NATEF ASE-certified automotive technology programs. In addition to promoting automotive careers at the local level, participating dealerships are asked to get involved with their school's Business & Education Council, sponsor one or more students for paid internships, and underwrite the cost of AYES Tool Scholarships for their interns, thereby reducing the financial burden of assembling good quality starter tool sets, which can be a significant hurdle for prospective young technicians.

 

How do I receive an AYES certification?

 

Qualified high school juniors are invited to take part in AYES. In addition to taking the required academic courses toward their high school degrees, they'll take challenging classroom/laboratory courses in basic automotive technology. They also strengthen their "employability" and personal skills. Typically, eligible students will begin their internships at a dealership on a full-time basis during the summer between their junior and senior years. Under the guidance of a "mentor" (an experienced technician), they develop both their technical skills and their skills as valuable employees and citizens.

 

What happens after graduation/certification?

 

Upon high school graduation and AYES certification, participating students are prepared to begin full-time entry-level employment, or to advance their technical education.

 

AYES is designed with continuing professional development in mind. Many participating dealerships anticipate sponsoring their students in manufacturer-supported college-level programs, such as the Chrysler CAP, GM ASEP, Toyota T-TEN, or certificate programs offered by Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Students are eligible to apply for PAAF scholarships to fund higher education costs.

 

For more information on the AYES program, please contact Skip Wagner at mwagner@paa.org.

 

To check for an AYES School in your area, vist  http://maps.ayes.org/

 

Career Opportunities

 

National Automobile Dealers Association

 

U. S. Department of Labor

 

Automotive Sales Training Academy

 

ACT - Automotive Careers Today