Technician Academy Podcast Technician Academy Podcast

In Episode #45 of Technician.Academy’s podcast series, guest Bruce McDowell discusses changes in the automotive repair industry and what his contributions to the Technician.Academy blog have been. McDowell is an ASE Certified Service Advisor for Garber Diesel Service in Versailles, MO. He is the featured author of Technician.Academy’s Service Adviser Desk that assists service advisors, and he is also working on a featured 10-part blog series called “Not Your Grandfather’s Garage”. In the podcast, host Shawn Collins and McDowell talk about the idea of perception is reality, the potential negative reputation of the automotive industry, automotive industry innovations, and more. Tune in now to hear from Bruce McDowell.

Episode #44 of Technician.Academy’s podcast series provides an energetic discussion with the 2018 Automotive Technology Outstanding Student award recipient, Jaxen Stewart. Stewart is in his third year at Pittsburgh State University. He grew up immersed in the automotive repair industry since his grandfather owned a NAPA store, and he started working there at a very young age, alongside his father and grandfather. The podcast highlights Stewart’s passion for the automotive industry, his opinions on what value the trained technician brings to the table, as well as his goals and expectations for the future of the industry. Tune in now.

Episode #43 of Technician.Academy’s podcast delivers a rich conversation with technical training expert Chris Chesney. Chesney is the Senior Director of Customer Training for CARQUEST Technical Institute (CTI) and Advance Professional as well as a contributor to MotorAge Magazine. Chesney discusses one of his recent articles he wrote for MotorAge—“Implementing a Mentorship Model in Your Business”—as well as the value of showing future automotive technicians a career path. The podcast also provides a sneak peek into a forthcoming project that Chesney is closely involved with called Pathways in Technology Early College High School, a new type of school that brings together the best elements of high school, college, and the professional world. Tune in now.

Episode #42 of Technician.Academy’s podcast series provides an in-depth discussion with automotive industry expert Ron Haugen. Haugen is the owner of the 14-bay facility Westside Auto Pros in Des Moines, IA, a shop recently honored by Ratchet+Wrench for being one of the top 20 repair facilities in the country. In the podcast, Haugen discusses the value of having exceptional employees and how important it is to take care of your customers. He also discusses his shop’s history and what the future may hold for both Haugen and Westside Auto Pros. Tune in now.

In Episode #41 of Technician.Academy’s podcast series, Top Alcohol driver Megan Meyer of Randy Meyer Racing and Megan Meyer Racing hops on the mic to talk about her team’s success in 2018, what can be expected for the 2019 season, and a whole lot more.

Episode #40 of Technician.Academy’s podcast series provides an expansive discussion with automotive industry expert Donny Seyfer. Seyfer is a contributing editor to Babcox Publications and a contributor to Autobody Repair News, MotorAGE, and AutoInc. Magazine. Seyfer is also a co-owner of Seyfer Automotive Inc. in Wheat Ridge, Colorado and is an integral member of multiple automotive boards and foundations, including the National Automotive Technician’s Education Foundation (NATEF) Board of Governors and the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF). The podcast provides a lot of insight into Seyfer’s involvement in the industry and the need for automotive education programs that focus on the strengths of tactile learners. Seyfer also discusses how important it is to show future technicians a career path. Tune in now.