Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Automotive coop students apply automotive course and/or program outcomes in an authentic work environment and further develop automotive skills on vehicles and in situations not experienced at school. Coop often leads to permanent employment or future employment references. Prerequisites: Department permission is required. 

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Perform basic vehicle inspection, maintenance, diagnosis and repairs with limited supervision in an independent repair facility.
• Communicate effectively with employers, customers and co-workers in an independent repair facility.
• Access and utilize repair information in a rapidly changing technology in an independent repair facility.
• Implement strategies and processes to solve basic vehicle repair problems in an independent repair facility.
• Perform basic vehicle diagnosis and repair to the highest professional and ethical standards in an independent repair facility.
• Meet learning outcomes specific to this project, as mutually agreed upon by the student and instructor in advance through a written learning contract, and as appropriate to the credit awarded for this course.

1. Students will be hired based on employer assessment. Students will apply job finding skills developed in CG209 and perform job interviews. Employers will provide feedback to the ASRT program when students need improvement. 
2. At the beginning of each coop, students will select technical outcomes from courses they have completed, which can be performed at their chosen job site. These technical outcomes must be sufficiently challenging and represent significant steps toward becoming an apprentice technician. The employer will evaluate students on the achievement of these outcomes. 
3. Students must document samples of their work performed and hours worked during completion of coop outcomes. This is completed in a student co-op workbook. 
4. Coop employers will assess students on the following AST professional outcomes and workplace skills:

The student performs repairs using all available repair information resources:

• Student uses service manuals                                   
• Student uses TSBs                   
• Student uses computer resources                     
• Student seeks help when appropriate

The student communicates effectively with customers, employer and coworkers:

• Student is courteous and helpful with public/customers     
• Student is able to understand and follow directions  
• Student asks questions when appropriate 

The student performs repairs to the highest professional & ethical standards:

• Student uses time effectively
• Student keeps busy, looks for work to do                                                                           
• Student works well with others
• Shares in work load                
• Student is on time for work.                          
• Student remains until required hours are completed              
• Student alerts supervisor if absent or late for work                                                                      
• Student plans ahead to rearrange work schedule                                                                      
• Student uses care with equipment and materials                                                                      
• Student is respectful of customer property
• Student dresses appropriately for job setting