Clarkesville, GA – North Georgia Technical College’s Automotive Collision Technology program was recently granted reaffirmation of accreditation by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Established in 1972, ASE seeks to promote excellence and cultivate a skilled workforce in the automotive service industry with the help of the ASE Education Foundation.
The ASE Education Foundation focuses on bridging the gap between employers, instructors, and students by evaluating and accrediting entry-level automotive education programs against current industry standards. By creating this standard-based system, the ASE Education Foundation is able to ensure students are career ready upon completion of their program.
Programmatic accreditation consists of a five-step process designed to evaluate the structure, processes, resources, materials, and mission of a school’s automotive service program. NGTC completed a comprehensive self-evaluation followed by the ASE Education Foundation’s review and on-site evaluation. Upon completion of the on-site evaluation, the results indicated that NGTC’s Automotive Collision Repair program continued to meet requirements for Master collision accreditation in the areas of Damage Analysis/Estimating/Customer Service, Painting and Refinishing, Non-Structural Analysis/Damage Repair, Structural Analysis/Damage Repair, and Mechanical and Electrical Components – the highest level of program accreditation recognized by ASE.
“It is an honor to teach a program that has met the rigorous industry standards required for ASE program accreditation,” said NGTC Automotive Collision Technology Instructor Neil Youngblood. “We have one of the best facilities with the latest tools and equipment and are the only college in Georgia that has received these qualifications. I would also like to thank the Atlanta I-CAR Committee for their support throughout this process.”
“The results of the reaffirmation visit highlight the wonderful things happening in our Automotive Collision classrooms and labs,” said NGTC Dean of Academic Affairs Michelle Oglesby. “We are proud of our instructor, Neil Youngblood, our students, and our program. We continue to expect great things from them in the future.”
“North Georgia Technical College could not be more pleased with the results of our reaffirmation visit,” said NGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs Mindy Glander. “The successful visit validates the quality of the program. Neil Youngblood, faculty member for the Automotive Collision program, works hard to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in obtaining gainful employment.”
The Automotive Collision Technology program is available at the Clarkesville campus and is currently accepting students for spring semester 2023. The spring 2023 application deadline is November 17, 2022. For more information regarding the Automotive Collision Technology program or other NGTC programs, visit northgatech.edu or call 706-754-7700.
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