Chattanooga Subaru dealer donates vehicle to GNTC
Subaru representatives hope the donation of a vehicle to Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Foundation will accelerate the Automotive Technology program’s familiarization with Subaru vehicles and yield a higher number of technicians as job applicants.
Troy Peco, GNTC Automotive Technology instructor, accepted the donation of a 2019 Subaru Impreza on Thursday, March 9, from Crown Subaru of Chattanooga.
“With this vehicle, students can learn diagnostic processes effectively and efficiently,” Peco said. “This is an allwheel drive vehicle, so we will be able to teach technology that we couldn’t teach before when we didn’t have an all-wheel drive vehicle.”
The Subaru-specific training is part of GNTC’s participation in the Subaru University.
“We are a Subaru University school where the students can take online courses with Subaru and get Subaru credits as a first step in Subaru technician training,” Peco said. “Since students will have their basic credentials, they will have a foot in the door to get a job with any Subaru dealer after graduation.”
Desmond Hagan, fixed operations director for Crown Subaru in Chattanooga, said he took some Automotive Technology classes at GNTC back in the 1980s. He sees the donation as a way to enhance the quality of education at a hometown college and to be part of the community.
“There is a need for more automotive technicians,” Hagan said.
This donation is Subaru’s first vehicle donation to GNTC; however, the company has donated a total of five transmissions, some new and some used, Peco explained.
“Subaru values continuing education and post-secondary education for our technicians,” explained Brent Roberts, district parts/service manager for Subaru of America Inc. “We understand schools like GNTC rely on these donations to grow their number of technician graduates. We want to support that, and this donation will allow students to put into practice what they are learning online.”
Roberts and Hagan agreed with Peco’s equating the quality of education students receive at GNTC with that of private colleges, but without the higher price tag.
Subaru’s company ethic of community giving also includes sponsoring numerous outdoor events, animal adoptions and the annual Share the Love campaign in November and December.