Day 2: ASE Certification + Apprenticeship vs. College
Lesson Overview
| Time | 50 minutes |
| Objectives | Understand what ASE certification is and how it works; complete the Apprenticeship vs. College comparison chart; recognize the apprenticeship pathway as a legitimate (and often better) alternative to a 4-year degree for trades careers |
| TEKS | d(2)(A), d(3)(G) |
| Deliverable | Completed Apprenticeship vs. College comparison chart with personal preference statement |
| Materials | Chromebooks, ASE.com bookmarked, BLS Automotive Service Technicians page bookmarked, printed Apprenticeship vs. College comparison chart, projector |
Warm-Up (5 min)
WARM-UP: Would you rather get paid while you learn a job, or pay tuition to go to college first and then start working? Write one sentence explaining your choice.
Take 5-6 student responses. Most students reflexively pick "get paid while I learn" but cannot explain why people choose college instead. Bridge: today we are going to compare both pathways with real numbers so you can make this decision with eyes open.
Activity 1: ASE Certification Deep-Dive (18 min)
Source: ASE.com: National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
ASE stands for Automotive Service Excellence. It is the national certification system for automotive professionals, and most repair shops require it.
Students open ASE.com and explore the certification categories. Project the ASE site on the board and walk through:
- What ASE is: A nonprofit that creates and grades automotive certification exams used across the industry
- The exam structure: Multiple-choice tests in specific specialty areas
- Specialty categories (the workbook of ASE):
- Engine Repair (A1)
- Brakes (A5)
- Electrical / Electronic Systems (A6)
- HVAC (A7)
- Engine Performance (A8)
- Plus many more across A1-A9 for cars, T1-T8 for medium/heavy trucks, B1-B6 for collision/refinish, etc.
- ASE Master Technician: A technician who has passed all the core exams in a specialty group (e.g., A1-A8 for cars). Master techs earn significantly more.
- Cost: Each test is $48 + a $36 registration fee. Affordable.
- How long it takes: Most techs earn their first ASE within 1-2 years on the job
- Salary impact: ASE-certified techs earn roughly 10-20% more than non-certified
Students take notes on the printed chart with three quick questions: - Which ASE specialty interests me most? Why? - How long does it take to become Master ASE certified? - What does the certification cost?
The workbook source is the BLS Automotive Service Technicians page, students cross-check the salary impact of certification. BLS confirms that certifications are a key way technicians increase pay over a career.
Activity 2: Apprenticeship vs. College Comparison (22 min)
Source: BLS Automotive Service Technicians + ASE.com + general apprenticeship research
Distribute the printed Apprenticeship vs. College comparison chart. Students fill in both columns:
| Category | Apprenticeship Pathway | College Pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start working | 0 years (you start working day 1) | 4 years (after degree) |
| Annual cost during training | -$0 to -$5K (you pay nothing or buy basic tools) | $15K-$60K tuition + room & board |
| Income during training | $25K-$40K starting (paid apprentice wage) | $0 (most college students are not earning full-time) |
| Total cost over 4 years | -$0 to -$20K | $60K-$240K |
| Income earned over 4 years | $100K-$160K (paid as you learn) | $0-$15K (part-time work) |
| Net financial position after 4 years | +$100K-$140K | -$60K to -$225K |
| Credential earned | Journeyman certification + ASE | Bachelor's degree |
| Long-term ceiling | Master tech, shop owner, fleet manager ($60K-$120K) | Engineering job, management ($55K-$150K) |
| Best fit for | Hands-on learner, wants to start working soon, wants to avoid debt | Wants academic experience, plans careers requiring a degree |
After filling in the chart, students write a 3-sentence personal preference statement at the bottom: "Based on this chart, I would choose the _ pathway because . The biggest tradeoff for me is __."
Facilitation Tip
Some students will be shocked by the "Net financial position" row. They will say "But college is supposed to be better!" That is the moment for the discussion: college is better for some careers (medicine, law, engineering) and worse for others (trades, technicians, mechanics). The point is matching the pathway to the career, not picking one as universally better.
DOK 3: What conclusions can you draw about whether apprenticeship or college is the better fit for someone interested in automotive? What factors would change your answer?
Activity 3: Think-Pair-Share (3 min)
In pairs, students share their personal preference statements. Each pair finds one thing they agree on and one thing they disagree on.
Exit Ticket (2 min)
EXIT TICKET (Trade-off / Dilemma Analysis) · Printable PDF:
Sam is graduating from high school in DFW next year. Sam wants to be an auto technician. Sam has two paths to pick:
- (A) Apprenticeship at a Ford dealership: start working day 1, earn $30K year 1, study for ASE exams on the job. No tuition. Takes 2-3 years to earn first ASE.
- (B) 18-month UTI trade school: full-time student, $35,000 tuition, no salary while in school, finishes ASE-ready in 18 months.
Pros of picking A: _____________
Pros of picking B: _____________
Sam's choice (A or B): __
Sam's family is worried about paying rent next year. Does that change the choice? Circle: YES / NO
In one sentence, use ONE number from today's chart to explain why. (d(2)(A), d(3)(G))
Differentiation
- Support: Pre-filled comparison chart with the Time, Cost, and Credential rows already filled in. Students fill in only the Income, Net Position, and Best Fit rows. Pair with a peer for the personal preference statement.
- Extension: Research a specific apprenticeship program in DFW (e.g., the Texas Workforce Commission apprenticeship search tool). Find one real apprenticeship opening with the company name, pay rate, and application requirements.
- ELL: Bilingual comparison chart with Spanish row labels. Pre-teach: Apprenticeship = Aprendizaje, College = Universidad, Pay = Pago, Tuition = Matrícula, Credential = Credencial, Tradeoff = Compensación.