Last Update: June 11, 2009
Automotive technician training is an absolute must these days to keep technician skills up-to-date. The technology in new vehicles is constantly changing, so there must be an ongoing commitment to training so technicians don't fall behind or make expensive mistakes. Many new car dealerships require a minimum of 8 hours of training a year for ALL technicians. For advanced diagnostic work, even more training may be necessary.

Training includes taking online courses, attending training seminars and workshops, attending vehicle manufacturer and other technical schools, in-shop training, hands-on training, even reading automotive trade magazines and reading automotive technical articles.

Achieving ASE certification is also important because it forces technicians to review their skills and study up on things they may not know or might have forgotten.

The National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (ASE's educational arm) certifies education programs that meet NATEF criteria. Over 1400 secondary and post-secondary training programs have achieved NATEF certification. So if you are looking for advanced training, visit NATEF's website for a list of schools and locations in your area. NATEF's phone number is 703-713-0100.

Below is a list of automotive training resources technicians and shop owners can use to sharpen their technical skills:

RESOURCES FOR AUTOMOTIVE TRAINING AND EDUCATION:

AATEC Technical Training
ACDC Automotive Career Development Center (Craig Van Batenburg hybrid vehicle training)
AC Delco Training
ADMS, Inc.
American Advanced Technicians Institute Corp (AATI)
ArvinMeritor Technical Training
ASE Online Testing & Education Center Take self-assesment tests for credit online
ATG Training
AST Training (John Forro, the "Silver Bullets" guy)
ATECH Training
ATTS Automotive Technician Training Services
Automotive Management Institute (AMI)
Automotive Service Assn. (ASA) Training Info
Automotive Support Programs for Inspection, Repair & Emissions (ASPIRE)
Automotive Technician Training Program (ATTP)

Automotive Training Mangers Council (ATMC)
Autonerdz.com (automotive diagnostic training by Tom Roberts)
Automotive Video Inc. (training videos)

Autoshop 101 Training & Resource Site
Autotech eLearning
Bergwall Productions (training CDs & videos)
BP Fuel Training & Certification
Carley Automotive Quick Reference Diagnosis & Repair Software

CarQuest Training Institute
CDX Global
CISE Electronics (Spanish language automotive training resource)

Council of Advanced Automotive Trainers (CAAT)
Creative Lab Scope Technique Page
Collision Industry Conference
Defensive Driving
Delphi Integrated Service Solutions
Delphi 2009 Specialized Training Information
Denso Training Info
Design Technology Inc.
Echoscan Inc.
Federal-Mogul Training
Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Education Training)
Freeweb Auto Page
General Motors Service technology Group (STG)
I-CAR
Linder Technical Services (fuel injection & emissions training)
MECHANICS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Megatech Corporation
Melior Institute
NAPA Institute of Automotive Technology (N. I.A.T.)
National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium
National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF)
School of Automotive Machinists
Snap-On Training Solutions

Standard Motor Products Training
Standard Motor Products Counterman Online Training Modules (free)
Taylor Automotive Tech-Line
Turbo Training (Bruce Amacker, Ford Powerstroke Diesel Training)
Veejer Enterprises (electronics home-study training courses)
WyoTech