More than just a mechanic
WHENEVER the words ‘automotive career’ comes up, people often picture a greasy man in dirty overalls holding a spanner, possibly with little to no formal education to speak of.
While that may be true a long time ago, standards and requirements have changed with the growth of the automotive industry. The Otomotif College (TOC) is out to bring a whole new perspective to automotive careers. Chief executive officer Adelaine Foo says, “Automotive technicians are often under appreciated. TOC was established in the hopes of changing society’s understanding that a career in the automotive industry is not just a respectable profession, but a desirable one as well.”
An assumption TOC hopes to correct is the notion of an automotive course being a last-resort option for the less academically inclined. Nothing can be further from the truth. Automotive technology has grown in leaps and bounds in the last two decades, and is no longer simply about mechanics, but also electrics and electronics. High-tech equipment such as motion sensors, traction control and Electronic Control Unit (ECU) can be found in every modern car. Servicing of these delicate mechanisms is a task meant for qualified and trained personnel. At TOC, diploma students require at least three SPM credits and at least a pass in Mathematics to qualify for admission. This is because the automotive industry is a science that demands precision. Just as a surgeon must undergo rigorous training to qualify to operate on a person, a car owner would naturally entrust the care of his/her vehicle to a qualified and reliable technician.
Even so, a career as a technician is only the foundation to what the entire industry has to offer. Although every automotive student is empowered with the core knowledge about cars that includes vehicle servicing and maintenance, a bigger world awaits beyond just fixing cars. An automotive graduate can also venture into vehicle and aftermarket sales and marketing, diagnostics, and automotive engineering and design to name a few. Naturally, studying in automotive also opens up a path to the fast-paced world of motorsports where one can find opportunities as a pit crew member, telemetry analyst, safety inspector, test driver or even behind the wheel as a racer.
A diploma holder’s familiarisation with engine and mechanical parts can easily be applied in other industries apart from the automotive sector. Aviation, oil and gas, machine and mechanical operations, logistics, events management, education, public awareness and insurance damage assessments are all viable avenues. Those with an entrepreneurial or analytical sense can find themselves doing management, administration and research work, or even opening their own vehicle/ parts dealership or service centre. Every vehicle technician is not simply a technician. He is a diagnostician, electrician and an electronics programmer with the knowledge to operate sophisticated tools and machinery.
A career in the automotive industry has evolved a long way from the days of the overalls-clad, spanner-wielding grease monkey, but TOC isn’t resting on its laurels just yet. Even with TOC’S rapid rise to become the leader in Malaysia’s automotive industry, Foo admits it’s not an easy task to change perceptions.
“It will take years to change society’s mindset, but it is a worthy challenge to give students a brighter future. TOC’S success is measured by the number of students now living their dreams in a career they feel proud to be in.”
Drive into TOC’S OTTO Camp this March 31, from 10am to 4pm for a live demonstration of its state-of-the art facilities and a first-hand look at the courses offered.
For details about The Otomotif College (TOC), visit http://www.toc.edu.my or call 032727 7426.