Career Opportunities

There is now a large and growing shortage of automobile technicians. The California Employment Development Department predicts that over 100 new technicians are needed per year in Santa Barbara County alone. If you are interested in automobiles and enjoy working on mechanical things, the field of automobile repair is wide open for you. Most of our students work part-time in local repair shops and dealerships while attending classes. These jobs often led to rewarding full-time positions after graduation.

Skilled auto technicians are highly paid and are in great demand. Automotive technicians may earn in excess of $60,000 a year. Many of our former students eventually move from employee to employer when they open their own automotive businesses. With the training you receive at Santa Barbara City College, you will be prepared to earn an excellent living in today's high-tech automotive field.

Job placement in our program is high. With the shortage of qualified auto technicians, demand from employers is high and our graduates can easily find employment. Local employers contact the automotive department at SBCC to inform us of openings as they become available. We keep a file of current and former students interested in a job and are very successful in matching employees with employers. Among our graduates are several members of our Trade Advisory Committee and local shop owners. We keep in close contact with many of them as members of the Automotive Service Council (ASC). Four of five instructors and the lab teaching assistant are SBCC graduates, as are the Santa Barbara High School and Dos Pueblos High School Auto instructor, and the Department Chair for Ventura College's automotive program. Many other of our graduates have transferred to universities and become teachers or engineers.

For more information about careers available at automotive dealerships go to:

http://www.autocareerstoday.net/