Automotive Technology: Ford ASSET
School of Transportation Technology
Parkes Automotive Technology Center, Room 133 · (570) 327-4516
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Ford ASSET program?
- Where is Penn College?
- How many students attend Penn College?
- Where will I live while attending classes?
- Why do I have to take English and math, etc.?
- Do I need to buy tools?
- Can I work on my own car?
- Why do I need a dealer sponsor?
- Do I need to find my own dealer sponsor?
- Why do I need to complete the developmental courses before I can begin my co-op?
- How much will I be paid during co-op?
- What happens after I graduate?
- How much can I expect to make after I graduate?
- Do I receive more training after graduation?
- What are ASE tests?
- How is Penn College different from other trade or vocational schools?
Q: What is the Ford ASSET program?
A: The Ford ASSET program is designed to provide training and certification to those persons who wish to become entry-level technicians at a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership.
See Ford Motor Company ASSET Program Web site for details.
Q: How many students attend Penn College?<
A: Fast Facts contains information about enrollment and other facts about Penn College.
Q: Where will I live while attending classes?
A: Penn College has a limited number of on-campus housing units available to ASSET students during their eight-week semesters. Please contact Residence Life. There is also off-campus housing available in the Williamsport area.
Q: Why do I have to take English and math, etc.?
A: The ASSET Program is an associate's degree program. The requirements for an associate's degree include math, English, social science, physics, fitness and computer science. The majority of the ASSET courses are automotive courses. In order to be successful in an ever increasingly complex field it is important that automotive technicians have a solid education.
Also, Penn College is dedicated to lifelong learning. As such, we view the associate's degree as a stepping stone to future educational and career opportunities, not an end in itself. Although graduates are initially prepared for a career as an automotive technician, should your goals change in the future it is possible to continue to the baccalaureate, graduate and even the doctoral level.
While the majority of ASSET graduates continue to work and make a good living as automotive technicians, graduates have gone on to various careers in the automotive industry. Some examples include Service and Parts Managers, Service Adviser, Technical Hotline employees as well as ASSET Instructors.
Q: Do I need to buy tools?
A: Yes, you are required to have tools. The list below includes the basic set of tools required. The Snap-On list includes all the tool numbers in the set. It is available at a discount from the College Store. The General list contains the same tools without tool numbers.
You are not required to purchase the Snap-On set. It is listed as an example only. You may purchase any brand you want and are advised to shop around when considering an investment in tools. Also, this set is the basic starting set of tools; you should be aware that an investment in tools continues during your working career.
Q: Can I work on my own car?
A: In the ASSET program the curriculum is designed to certify students as Ford technicians. As such, all graded lab activities are conducted on vehicles and equipment supplied by Ford Motor Company. (See the Facilities page for pictures of our training vehicles). Outside student and customer vehicles are not serviced as part of the program. However, ASSET students at times are allowed to perform basic maintenance and repairs on their own vehicles at the discretion of the ASSET instructor. In general there will not be time for vehicle restoration or modifications.
Q: Why do I need a dealer sponsor?
A: The ASSET program is a cooperative education program. The classroom training sessions are designed to be followed by hands-on training at a dealership to reinforce the concepts and practices taught in class. This is a different approach than that used by many vocational programs. The co-op sessions comprise slightly more than 50% of the ASSET training.
Also, the student who chooses the ASSET program is assumed to have made a career decision prior to beginning the program. The training provided during the co-op session is a crucial component for the success of the student in the dealership after completing the program.
Q: Do I need to find my own dealer sponsor?
A: You are urged to contact a dealer near your home prior to beginning the ASSET program and secure sponsorship. You may use the Ford Motor Company Dealer Finder page to locate a dealership near your home. Dealerships generally do not sponsor students who live more than 30 minutes away.
In some cases there are specific dealer requests for students. Only students from that area are referred to those dealers. If you have been unsuccessful in locating a sponsoring dealership, the faculty will assist you in locating one.
Q: Why do I need to complete the developmental courses before I can begin my co-op?
A: The ASSET program is the most structured automotive program at Penn College. It is built around the alternating eight-week classroom and eight-week co-op sessions. Each semester is scheduled to include the required academic classes. The scheduled academic classes are also eight-week classes designed to coincide with the automotive classes. Developmental classes are not offered on the eight-week schedule due to low demand. You will need to be on campus the full 16-week semester in order to complete the developmental course. This prevents taking developmental classes and participating in the co-op at the same time. The only exception is if you live and work close enough to Penn College to be able to work during the day at your dealership and commute to evening developmental classes. This option is only available with the permission of the faculty and sponsoring dealership.
Q: How much will I be paid during co-op?
A: The pay scale varies among participating dealers. The location of the dealer is the major factor in determining the pay that an ASSET student receives during co-op. An advisory committee consisting of dealer, College, and Ford Motor Company personnel, as well as a student representative, have recommended a starting wage of 14% of the dealership shop labor rate. This means that large metropolitan dealers generally pay more than small rural dealers.
Please note that dealers are franchises of Ford Motor Company and are independently owned. Dealers are not mandated by Ford Motor Company as to what they will pay ASSET students. There are likely to be dealers who pay more than the recommended 14% and dealers who pay less.
Q: What happens after I graduate?
A: Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships became involved with the ASSET program with the intention of hiring the ASSET graduate full-time. In fact, the majority of graduates go on to become full-time employees. But, please note that this is not a guarantee of employment. Upon graduation, it is left to you and dealership as to whether you become a full-time employee. The dealership is under no obligation to hire you full-time upon graduation, nor are you required to work for the dealership for any set period following graduation.
The dealership completes the ASSET Student Sponsor Form (PDF) before the beginning of the first co-op session. This document covers the period of time you are registered in the program and is not an agreement to hire you after graduation. The obligations of the dealer are detailed in our agreement for Ford ASSET (PDF).
The Ford ASSET program is designed to prepare the graduate for a career as a certified technician with a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, or Mazda dealership. The curriculum is delivered with this as the main goal. Students become familiar with the diagnostic materials and equipment specific to Ford and Lincoln-Mercury vehicles as well as the basic operating theory and fundamentals of automotive systems in general and Ford vehicles in particular.
While the Ford specific objectives covered in the ASSET program are meant to prepare students for a career with a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, or Mazda dealership, the technical skills that graduates acquire may be applied to any motor vehicle produced. Vehicle systems across manufacturers are generally more similar in operation than different.
Graduates have gone on to work successfully as technicians for brands other than Ford. Other graduates have continued with their education and gone on to complete bachelor's degrees at Penn College. Check the College Catalog for additional information on degree programs offered.
Q: How much can I expect to make after I graduate?
A: See the US Department of Labor 2000 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Automotive Service Technicians. Remember, the location of the dealership will be a major factor in the wage received, as well as the productivity of the graduate.
Q: Do I receive more training after graduation?
A: ASSET graduates will be in many cases 100% certified by Ford Motor Company in the eight major automotive areas, as well as Diesel Engine certified.
Continuing education by Ford Motor Company includes Satellite training over its network named FordStar. These are 1-2 hour classes offered during the day at the dealership and cover topics such as New Model training and technical updates. As systems evolve and new curriculums are released, technicians may be required to attend classroom courses to remain up to date. These classes are held at Ford Training Facilities located nationwide.
Q: What are ASE tests?
A: ASE tests are voluntary technician certification examinations independent of Penn College and Ford Motor Company. Students are advised when to take the automotive specialty tests. The only ASE test that is required is the Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling Online Quiz. This test is taken during the summer session when the Climate Control Systems course is taught. Test fees are reimbursed to students for each test passed. Although the ASSET curriculum does not "teach the test," the core concepts covered in each semester are derived from NATEF curriculum standards.
Q: How is Penn College different from other trade or vocational schools?
A: Both institutions prepare students for entry into a trade. However, there are specific differences in the methods and missions of the institutions. Some differences are as follows:
- Most trade schools offer a 40-hour instructional week and finish a student in less than 18 months. The cost will be similar. We offer an education as well as technical training. This means that students are better prepared to learn new systems as they appear on vehicles.
- We have two options for students to finish at an accelerated pace (which goes through the summer), comparable to the length of time at a trade school.
- We offer a college experience and an affiliation with the Pennsylvania State University, complete with athletics, clubs, events, and other student activities in a wide variety of majors. Within automotive, we have a Motorsports club, participate in an SCCA sponsored go-kart race for charity, VICA, and we are building our own Super Stock GT dragster and intend to race it.
- We generally have two students, sometimes three, assigned to work together on hands-on projects. Trade schools usually have a much higher number of students per project.
- Our facilities and equipment are as good or better than found in almost all trade schools. In addition to the traditional equipment found in most repair facilities, we have two engine dynamometers, two chassis dynamometers, an engine machining lab, and a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) quick fill refueling station.
- Only public colleges offer Ford ASSET, and only two trade schools have Toyota T-TEN.
- There is little to no general education required at a trade school. This is one of their selling points. However, our own studies point to the importance of elementary algebra to a student’s skill development.
- Academic standards are different. Penn College is held to a higher standard since we are accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Our courses transfer to other accredited colleges; trade school courses do not.
- Faculty experience is different. Overall, our faculty have more experience as technicians, hold education degrees, and have institution teaching experience. We are able to attract excellent faculty by our reputation and salary.
- Recruiting is different. We do not have fancy brochures, TV & magazine ads, or “Head Hunters” (recruiters paid a commission on each student). Yet we have an ever-growing waiting list of interested students. Our successful graduates are our best recruiters.
- Some trade schools border on questionable methods of attracting students. USA Today reported that Universal Technical Institute (UTI) opened a “NASCAR Technical Institute,” yet very few jobs exist for the projected 1,200 students a day they intend to recruit. In fact, all students must sign a disclaimer before they can enroll that states completing the program “is not a guarantee of employment in the automotive industry in general or NASCAR either by UTI or NASCAR."
- We have a much wider variety of automotive interest areas for students from a two-year certificate (AM); two-year associate (AU), specialization with Ford (FA), or Toyota (TY), and a service sales and marketing degree (AK); and a four-year degree (BAU). Additionally, there is a Motorsports Technician competency credential, an auto graphics course (art elective), collision repair, and a wide variety of other college offerings.
- Trade schools are usually NATEF certified. We are one of only a few colleges in the nation that is master NATEF certified in everything we teach.
- We alone have a distance learning option for the junior and senior year of our bachelor's degree, provided the student has two years of automotive work experience and meets the requirements of the first two years.
- Finally, we have the oldest automotive program in the nation and we have expanded and committed to extending our legacy well into the future.
Vision Statement:
"We strive for distinction by providing the premier Transportation Technology education in the nation."