Gateway Reveals New Automotive Technology Lab

Lab prepares students for high-paying automotive repair careers

On Monday, April 15, 2019, Gateway Community and Technical College unveiled a new learning center designed to help its students secure some of the highest paying jobs in the automotive repair industry.

Gateway’s Automotive Technology Lab – ATECH – uses cutting edge, engaging curriculum to prepare students for careers diagnosing and repairing electrical and computer problems in cars. ATECH simulates these automotive systems so students can learn basic theory, how to diagnose problems and apply their learning in real-time. The work of each student is stored in a mainframe computer, allowing teachers to gauge their progress and provide student-specific instruction. The simulator also helps students focus on the electrical and computer systems without the physical parts of the car – body, engine and other parts – getting in the way of the learning. It is housed in Gateway’s rapidly growing Transportation Technology Center on Dudley Road in Ft. Wright.

“Today’s cars are complex systems, and technicians who can tear apart a computer failure, diagnose it as quick as possible and get it back up and running are in high demand everywhere,” said Gateway President Dr. Fernando Figueroa. “This is where the high paying jobs are, and we’re preparing our students to fill them.”

Gateway’s 33,000-plus square foot Transportation Technology Center opened in 2016 and houses programs in Automotive Technology, Ford Asset, Collision Repair, Diesel Technology and Commercial Drivers Licensing (CDL) in addition to ATECH.