Program
GM Automotive Service Educational Program (GMASEP)
College
Brookhaven College
Background
Introduction of electronic controls into multiple systems in automobiles being manufactured in the mid-1970s created a transformational event within the automotive service industry. General Motors Corporation executives realized that highly skilled service technicians with electronic diagnostics as well as mechanical training would be needed to properly maintain and service these new high-tech products.
GM executive relationships with Michigan’s Delta College and the League for Innovation led to identification of community colleges as the most appropriate venue to implement its General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program (GMASEP) because of its blend of technical training coupled with an associate degree experience that included courses in mathematics and communication and the development of critical thinking skills. The Dallas/Fort Worth area — with its high concentration of progressive GM dealerships — was selected, and Brookhaven College was the community college chosen in 1978 to respond to area dealer needs.
Brookhaven College administrators and faculty worked hand-in-hand with GM corporate representatives and local dealers to identify key competencies; develop necessary educational materials, curriculum patterns and teaching strategies; and identify and secure new-model vehicles and tools with which to train as well as provide faculty professional development related to this emerging technology.
Funding
At its inception, General Motors committed corporate executive-level leadership for curriculum development and GM-specific training for college faculty, identification of training components (vehicles as well as component parts), identification of local sponsoring dealers, and establishment of national meetings to identify and resolve program challenges and best practices.
Specifics
GM’s Automotive Service Educational Program (GMASEP) is a two-year apprenticeship program designed to prepare individuals to work as automotive service technicians at a General Motors dealership. The curriculum for the
Dealership-Sponsored Technician Associate in Applied Sciences degree was designed by the General Motors Corporation and Brookhaven College.
ASEP students attend intensive 10-week sessions of classroom lecture and laboratory exercises at the college, followed by a 10-week cooperative work experience at the student’s sponsoring General Motors dealership. This process allows the student to apply recent classroom activities in a professional dealership environment. The total program lasts about 90 weeks, with approximately 50 weeks spent at Brookhaven College and 40 weeks at the students’ sponsoring dealership.
Outcomes
Since the program’s inception, more than 450 A.A.S.-degreed service technicians have begun their careers at General Motors dealerships throughout North Texas. These students complete the program and enter the dealerships with multiple GM-authorized technician certifications, equipping them with specialized training that enables them to be immediately productive. Many of these graduates have assumed supervisory and managerial roles within their dealerships, served as mentors to newly sponsored students, or have pursued additional education and are currently in automotive engineering positions at regional or corporate levels.
What Our Partners Say
James Freel
Service Director
Crest Cadillac
Plano
“ I have been involved with the ASEP program and Brookhaven College for more than 20 years. Your program has provided me with some of the best technicians I have in my service department and continues to provide me with future techs. ASEP focuses on General Motors training and is a huge benefit to my store. When a student graduates, he or she has so much of the required GM training completed that it literally saves me thousands of dollars in training expense and lost productivity.
One of the big differences between GMASEP and the ‘mass production’ tech schools is that when an ASEP student graduates, he or she is ready to be a fully commissioned, productive technician. If you are in a General Motors dealership, you should seriously consider ASEP for your future technician needs. ”
Rick Beets
General Motors Fixed Operations Manager
Chevrolet Division
Dallas Zone
“ General Motors Corporation constantly strives to be a good corporate citizen by providing support for our dealers, our consumers and our communities. One of the many ways we can demonstrate this commitment is supporting programs like GMASEP. In my 19 years of working with Brookhaven College I have, on GM’s behalf, been pleased to support this proven program with vehicle and equipment donations, manufacturer-specific professional development for faculty and participation in recruiting events.
Brookhaven College ASEP graduates come to our dealerships equipped with certified GM training, critical thinking skills needed to diagnose today’s automobiles, the desire to take on new technology challenges, and career pathways that provide opportunities within management. With ever-evolving product comes the need for progressive training for future technicians. Working together, we can continue to provide excellent entry-level dealership service technicians for today and the future. ”
For More Information
For information on Dealership-Sponsored Auto Technician Training programs at Brookhaven College, call 972-860- 4189.
For more information on workforce training and development at Brookhaven College, call 972-860-4574.