Canyon High School Regional Occupation Program students Ryan Gregory and Joe Gezahegn, under the guidance of auto technology instructor Pete Ciccone, took first place overall in the Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association’s competition at Whittier College in December.

These young men will be one of 30 teams advancing to compete for the National Championship in New York City in early April, when hundreds of high school students from throughout the United States and Canada are challenged on their skills and automotive knowledge in a hands-on setting.

The challenge of the county’s Auto Tech Competition is to identify the finest two-person high school technician team in Los Angeles County. The competition is designed to encourage young talented individuals with an aptitude for technology to pursue a career at a retail automotive dealership.

Each two-student team had to rotate through 10 work-stations or “bugged” vehicles, using a repair order with actual customer complaints. The student teams had to diagnose and repair the problem within the allotted time. Each “bug” correctly diagnosed and repaired is worth a number of points, depending on the level of difficulty.

In addition, the students’ knowledge of emissions control systems, alignment, electrical test equipment, airbag components, oscilloscope usage and mechanical measurement equipment was tested during a series of intensive work station sessions.

The high volume of vehicle sales in Los Angeles County and the advancement of automotive technology creates a demand for dealers to hire highly trained personnel. This competition promotes the industry need and availability of quality jobs for future technicians.

For more information about this ROP program and others through the Hart District, visit www.hartrop.com.