Technology Drives Citrus College Students To Success

While many of the recent Citrus College construction projects have provided updated buildings and expanded space for housing various programs, none have depended more on technology than the new Automotive Technology buildings.

The program’s new facilities consist of two main buildings: a classroom and office building, and a laboratory which is really a fully-functioning auto shop. While the classroom facility opened for the 2009-2010 school year, the shop—which features 23 auto repair bays and a diesel area, too—was just dedicated this past October. The difference from last year has been rather stark for instructors.

“Versus the facility it replaced, we have a tremendous increase in capacity,” said full-time Instructor Dave Brown, who’s been at Citrus more than 11 years. “We have equipment in there that is significantly more state of the art… This facility is a lot more like in kind to what they’re going to find in the real world.”

Punctuating the shop’s authenticity is its paint scheme, which is basically identical to what one would find in the repair shop at a Toyota dealership. This is no accident, as the Citrus Automotive Program is engaged with a business partnership with Toyota/Lexus, enabling students with a host of opportunities before and after they graduate. In fact, the school is among one of only three remaining Toyota T-Ten programs in the Los Angeles area.

“I always tell students ‘Look, if you want to work, you’re going to find a job, it’s going to happen,’” explained Citrus’ Dean of Career, Technical and Continuing Education James Lancaster. “We have really seen an increase in trying to place people with Toyota. They could come and clean house every time we graduate students, if we let them.”

With all the benefits of a new facility and job opportunities for graduating students, however, come a few frustrating aspects. Beyond annoyances such as the new classroom building’s meeting room beyond constantly mystifyingly freezing, and having to furnish a new building with old furniture, there are more poignant issues in regards to students.

For one, the slashed community college budget at the state level has hamstrung the program from expanding, although they now have the capacity to take on more students. Additionally, the facility still makes use of older alignment equipment, and is still waiting for some dynamometer equipment to come online. For that, a second contractor will be called in.

“Some of the things we thought would have been included in the projects weren’t, and there are budgetary reasons for that,” said Brown. “But those things notwithstanding it’s been an enormously positive thing for us, and all those hiccups will be corrected in due time.”

For Lancaster, the prospect of expanding the program in better budgetary times is particularly exciting. Noting that some students in the program may have slightly checkered backgrounds, he clearly relishes the opportunity to put graduates in to the workforce that much more.

“Some of our students, there are a couple in the program, may have a little tarnish on their personal history,” said Dean Lancaster. “But I’m a big believer in second chances. In instances where an employer might look at someone’s resume, see a felony in their past and pass them over, we give them a chance to earn their place through Friday internships.”