March 28, 2024

Auto students provide training in 4-Corners

Price Automotive Technology program students spent two days at the College of Eastern Utah-San Juan Campus and San Juan High School in Blanding conducting the Third Annual Four-Corners Automotive Training and Competition Feb. 18 and 19. The program attracted 50 students from area high schools.

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Price Automotive Technology program students spent two days at the College of Eastern Utah-San Juan Campus and San Juan High School in Blanding conducting the Third Annual Four-Corners Automotive Training and Competition Feb. 18 and 19. The program attracted 50 students from area high schools.
CEU-Price instructors were Stan Martineau, Mike Kava, and Rodney Stevenson. High school instructors were Craig Swenson, of San Juan, Bryan Nelson, Grand County and Robert Sanders, from Whitehorse. CEU-SJC and the Workforce Education Division hosted the two-day event. CEU-Price automotive students assisted.
Identifix representative, Judy Wax provided training for students and instructors on Identifix’s online Direct-Hit diagnostic tool. Direct-Hit provides professional technicians experienced-based quick fixes, time-saving diagnostics, and real-world information created from Identifix’s experience diagnosing 3.5 million Repair Hotline calls. Each school was awarded a one-year membership to identifix information valued at just over $1,000 per school.
The first day, students rotated through 20-minute training sessions including engine repair, suspension and steering, brake and electrical systems, scan-tool diagnostic, air conditioning,and data information. During the second day, students competed against each other and the clock to test their skills on what they learned the day before.
Winners included first place Ben Royer, San Juan High School; second place Chai Bayles, San Juan High School; and third place Hayden Black, San Juan High School. San Juan High School won first place and Whitehorse High School second. First place school winners were Desmond Sam, Whitehorse; Ben Royer, San Juan; and Graham Tallman, Navajo Mountain.
Kava said the turnout for the workshop exceeded expectations. “We had more students participate from each school this year and the tests were much harder this year.”
Martineau said he was pleased to see the number of students and the schools that they represented. “We have students from Navajo Mountain participating in the competition. Something they have not been able to do in prior years.” This is the first year of the automotive program at Navajo Mountain which is broadcast in to the school from San Juan High School.
Swenson said, “the opportunity to have the technology available to provide courses of this type to Navajo Mountain is a dream come true for these students. I would expect to see these students competing for the top spots in the competition in the next few years.”

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