Moorefield, W.Va. – Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Eastern) offers a learn-and-earn program for second-year students enrolled in the automotive technology program to participate in paid internships. Outgoing graduates, Shelby Westfall and Johnathon Kalp have been utilizing this initiative at the Weimer dealership in Moorefield. “The learn-and-earn program has been a welcomed experience for us at the Weimer Automotive Group. We were able to get two great candidates that have been able to come in here and get the hands-on learning experience needed to progress in this industry,” said Gareth Hill, General Manager of Weimer Automotive Group in Moorefield, “The best part of the program for me was that they were able to take what they learned at school and apply it to everyday situations in the shop. With what they learned at Eastern and with us, they now have the tools and knowledge required to take the next step in a career that will set them up for long-term success. We cannot wait for the next round of students to come and take advantage of this fantastic program.”
Eastern’s Automotive Technology program allows students to learn skills to be prepared to work in car dealerships, independent repair facilities, automotive suppliers, distributorship, and sales. Jay Crites is the Automotive Technology Faculty/Instructional Specialist for this program at Eastern, located at Eastern’s off-campus technology center in Petersburg, WV. Articulation agreements exist with high school tech centers throughout the six counties of the Potomac Highlands Region that allow students to earn college credit for certain auto tech classes. “Working with Weimer Automotive provided us with invaluable access to the positions for which our students attend the automotive tech program. They helped us put our students on the fast track to entering and excelling in the industry they love, and the students, in turn, provided Weimer’s with skilled and dedicated workers,” said Crites, “The first year of the program was an absolute success for Eastern, Weimer Automotive, and the industry as a whole. As the industry continues to rapidly evolve, with new technologies and techniques emerging all the time, programs like this provide a pipeline of skilled workers who are prepared to keep up with and succeed within the industry. It was an absolute pleasure to work with these students and Weimer’s this year for Eastern’s Learn-and-Earn Program. My hope is to grow and mold this program to continue benefiting the students, automotive partners, and the industry as a whole.”
About Eastern’s Automotive Technology Program
The Automotive Technology program is held at Eastern’s Technology Center in Petersburg, WV. Successful completion of the Automotive Technology program will allow graduates to enter the workforce at the technician level, prepared to apply the knowledge and skills developed in lectures and laboratories to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair today’s complex vehicles. Eastern’s Learn And Earn program allows second-year students in the Automotive Technology program to take part in a paid internship. There are articulation agreements with area high school tech centers to offer courses that will count, up to nine credit hours for college! Students in this program train with industry-leading tools and equipment like zSpace, which provides an augmented reality (AR/VR) learning experience, as well as hybrid learning. To enroll for the Fall 2023 semester, email us at askeastern@easternwv.edu, call us at 304-434-8000 or 877-982-2322 (toll free), and visit easternwv.edu!
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