California legislators are considering a bill that would provide funding to public high schools and community colleges for automotive technology education.

The Automotive Career and Technical Education Bill (AB-226) would establish an account from which grants would be awarded to public high schools and community colleges for classes on automotive repair training.

Fremont Union High School District offers automotive training courses at only two of its five schools--Fremont and Homestead--though the classes are open to all students in the district.

"Fifteen years ago, each school had auto shop," Michael Brant says. Now the classes are only offered through ROP, the regional occupational program of Santa Clara County.

Many students who take the classes at Fremont and Homestead high schools continue on to the automotive program at De Anza Community College, he says.

De Anza offers automotive technology certificate and degree programs, but Brant, who chairs the department, says in spite of the popularity of the program, money from the school for the department has dwindled steadily.

"They've been trimming us down every year. Now we don't buy anything new," he says.

Brant says the department today has a budget of about $32,000 for new equipment purchases, a considerable drop from the $80,000 it was given just a few years ago.

"I would love to see funding so I can go out and buy something new," Brant says.

"We have equipment here that we've had for over 25 years."

Bill Wishart, the auto shop teacher at Fremont, says his classroom needs updated equipment. Wishart also teaches entry level automotive courses at De Anza.

Automotive classes, however, in both the high schools and college have high attendance rates.

"I cut my kids off at 30 [students.] I usually have 35 or 40 sign up," Wishart says.

"Every class we have is full," Brant says. "We don't have any extra room [in the program] for classes, and we don't have the money to offer more classes."

"Based on average daily attendance, both [automotive training classes] are above their goal," says Trudy Gross, director of educational services at Fremont Union High School District.

Brant says the automotive program at De Anza has one of the highest student retention rates at the school.

Wishart and Brant have also noticed that since the tech bubble burst, the average age of students in the automotive program has risen.

"We are seeing a different type of student at De Anza the last couple years. We're seeing the type of person who wants a career change," Brant says.

The demand for skilled auto technicians also remains high as the number of vehicles on the road continues to grow.

Larry Rinek is a senior consultant in automotive technologies at Frost and Sullivan Automotive Technologies in Palo Alto, and he's been an automotive engineer with the Society of Automotive Engineers for 15 years. Rinek says that California is "fertile ground" for automotive technician careers. There are more new vehicles being sold in California than in any other, and the addition of new vehicles versus those being "retired" creates a demand for vehicle maintenance.

He also argues that the pace of training technicians receive now may not match the technical complexity of cars manufactured today.

"What they are learning now may not be sufficient for the motor vehicles of the future," Rinek says.

Brant also says the industry is seeing a drop in the number of working technicians. This is due in part to retirement and a lack of skilled mechanics being funneled into the industry because the availability of education has not kept up with demand.

As cars become more complex with onboard computers operating electrical components, specialized technicians skilled in diagnostics and repair are needed too, Brant and Rinek say. Those specialties require advanced levels of education and training that just aren't available at the community college level. But Brant says additional funding such as that which the bill could provide could help expand De Anza's program.

"If you get someone who is a whiz at diagnosing electronic gremlins, he could pave his way in gold," Rinek says.