USU-Moab Concurrent Enrollment Adds New Automotive Technology Instructor

Utah State University-Moab continues to work with Grand County High School (GCHS) to offer courses for college credit and career preparation.

John Lindsay taught for many years with the Boise school district, specializing in automotive repair and maintenance. Throughout his career, he has earned several ASE and industry certifications, which go beyond the state requirements for his position. His expertise is now available to GCHS students, who can also earn college credit for the classes he teaches.

Lindsay believes students sign up for automotive classes because of a general interest in the subject or because they are focused on a career path in the industry. Getting to know the motivations and plans for each student helps Lindsay better work with the class and cater projects to their wants and needs. From the beginning, he focuses on a hands-on approach, allowing students to better understand the theories and methods discussed in class. He finds this is more beneficial than a textbook or technical manual approach.

Starting with the basics of maintenance, automotive students learn how to properly maintain any number of vehicles, from cars and trucks, to diesel engines, to ATV’s and UTV’s. Once the core understanding of the function and maintenance of these vehicles is established, the class moves to the more difficult practice of diagnosing and repairing problems with the motors and mechanical systems.

So far, six students in the automotive program at GCHS have enrolled for concurrent enrollment, allowing them to earn college credit. The credits they earn can transfer to an Applied Associate Degree of Science in General Technology, a two-year degree. After receiving their associate degree, they can apply it to a bachelor’s degree if desired. The demand for trained and certified technicians is on the rise in Moab, and skilled workers with the proper training and a college degree can expect to be in high-demand.

For the future, Lindsay plans to teach a specialized block of classes for brakes, and then steering and suspension. He also hopes to introduce a four-week, community-oriented evening class to teach basic maintenance and repairs.