The Automotive Collision Repair program at Salina Area Technical College has earned reaccreditation from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). The program has been accredited in the following areas: Damage Analysis, Estimating, Customer Service, Non-Structural Analysis and Damage Repair, Painting and Refinishing and Structural Analysis and Damage Repair. The accreditation is valid for five years.
To achieve this recognition, the school’s automotive collision repair training program underwent rigorous evaluation by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), judging the program against nationally-accepted standards of excellence in areas such as instruction, facilities and equipment.
“This is great news for automotive-minded young people and their parents,” said Donald Seyfer, NATEF Chair. “Because this program increases cooperation between local education and industry leaders, it gives added assurance that Salina Tech’s graduates will be employable entry-level technicians. As a result of the quality education provided by Salina Tech, the public will benefit since better repair technicians will join the work force.”
Upon completion of the evaluation, Salina Tech became accredited NATEF, a non-profit, independent organization that evaluates and accredits entry-level technician training programs against standards developed by the automotive industry.
“During the past few months, we have worked closely with NATEF to make certain that our program would meet strict industry standards, and now we are delighted to remain in the ranks of the NATEF accredited training programs,” said Richard Fairchild, chair of the Auto Collision Repair Department. “Students will be assured of a quality education, and shop owners will be assured of getting quality job applicants.”
Salina Tech’s Auto Collision Repair program offers students a nine-month program leading to a Technical Certification, or a two-year program leading to an Associate Degree. High school students can enroll in the program as a junior or senior, and tuition for high school students is free.
Salina Tech was founded in 1965, and now has 15 full-time programs in which students can pursue either a Technical Certificate or an Associate of Applied Science degree. It also offers numerous short-term classes throughout the year. The New York-based Aspen Institute has ranked Salina Tech in the top 10 percent of community colleges nationwide four consecutive times, and the Chronicle of Higher Education recently ranked the college ninth in the nation among two-year colleges based on its graduation rate.