Fiat Chrysler, Lincoln Tech revving technician training

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, coping with a nationwide shortage of skilled mechanics, is partnering with Lincoln College of Technology’s Denver campus to train more technicians specialized in its vehicles.

“We have dealers both in the Denver area and rest of country who need technicians,” said Keith Yancy, director of the FCA Performance Institute in Auburn Hills, Mich., near Detroit. “It is a critical program for us.”

Students enrolled in the auto repair program at Lincoln Tech can receive additional training online in Fiat, Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler models at no added charge starting Jan. 2. The modules, which run a half hour to an hour each, will also be available to all 750 or so students at the school, including those in other programs, like HVAC.

“It makes our students more marketable to Chrysler dealers. More importantly, whether they end up working at Chrysler or not, it is 100 percent free to them,” Ken Phipps, director of career services at Lincoln Tech’s Denver campus and a veteran auto mechanic, said of the additional training.

Once students successfully complete the Mopar Career Automotive Program Local, they will be Level 0, 1 technicians employable at dealerships throughout the region.

Arapahoe Community College hosts a more intensive Mopar CAP Traditional that takes longer to complete, but can provide a higher designation. Beyond that, FCA runs its own training center near Interstate 70 and Peoria Street where technicians get the most advanced training available.

But the certification represents a foot in the door. Some dealerships will provide full tuition reimbursement for employees attending the automotive program, which in the case of Lincoln Tech can run about $32,000 for a 13-month program, Phipps said.

Others will reimburse students for the cost of tools and equipment.

Starting pay for an entry-level technician can run $13 to $16 an hour, Phipps said. A skilled and experienced Mopar technician can make a minimum $60,000 and usually much more, Yancy said.

“I asked one local dealer how many of our guys can you take,” said Phipps, adding the response he got was “all of them and more. We can handle more.”