{"id":9966,"date":"2019-11-13T09:14:26","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T17:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=9966"},"modified":"2019-11-13T09:50:35","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T17:50:35","slug":"sbcc-auto-tech-gears-up-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=9966","title":{"rendered":"SBCC Auto Tech Gears Up For The Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SBCC

SBCC Automotive Technology, From Schools of Thought, Santa Barbara Independent, November 7, 2019.<\/p><\/div>\n

Women Are Thriving in City College\u2019s Automotive Technology Program\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The future of automotive technology is indeed female.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With women accounting for just 27 percent of the U.S. auto manufacturing workforce (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018), and a skills-gap study forecasting a shortfall that will leave approximately 2.4 million U.S. manufacturing jobs vacant through 2028 and beyond (Deloitte Insights, 2018), it\u2019s an ideal time for young women to pursue this in-demand career field.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On a recent visit to SBCC<\/a>, instructor Brittanye Muschamp<\/a>\u2019s Engine Rebuilding class in a shockingly clean, newly renovated engine lab, clusters of students, male and female, inspected and cleaned engine blocks and measured cylinders and pistons. Muschamp worked in the automotive service industry for many years before joining SBCC as the first full-time female faculty member in the department. At this rate, she won\u2019t be the last.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jennifer Oseguera feels right at home with her arms elbow-deep in an engine. She\u2019s wanted to be a race car driver since she was a little girl. \u201cI had a race car team in high school, so I have some experience there,\u201d she explained. \u201cI got into auto body shop when I was in high school as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to taking her second year of the automotive technology classes at SBCC, Oseguera also commutes to Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo for their auto body program. \u201cI would like to have my own auto body shop or technician shop at some point and do some racing and custom paints as well as restoring classic cars,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very welcoming, especially being here as a girl now that we have a female automotive teacher,\u201d said Oseguera of her SBCC experience. \u201cThe guys don\u2019t shut me down, and they treat me like everybody else. I\u2019m learning a lot and getting a lot more hands-on experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Michelle Tepeque is a Santa Barbara High<\/a> grad and one of 46 Automotive Technology participants in the SBCC Promise<\/a> program, which provides hometown high school graduates free tuition for two years. She used to watch a lot of car restoration shows with her dad, but she never really thought about the automotive field as a career until recently. \u201cThen a lot of my guy friends were doing it, and I thought, well, I\u2019m kind of interested in seeing how it is,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I gave it a try last semester and really loved it. Now, this semester, these are the only classes I\u2019m taking.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As for being one of the only females in class, Tepeque said it\u2019s mostly accepting. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel like all eyes were on me, and most guys are pretty laid-back about it, like they don\u2019t really care. There are some that do give you more shit than others \u2014 they\u2019ll ask you questions and make you feel like you don\u2019t fit in. But being in this industry, I know there\u2019s going to be a lot of men that will try to put you down because you\u2019re female, so it\u2019s teaching me to have thicker skin and stand up for whatever I\u2019m doing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, she\u2019s had a great time. \u201cI feel like I actually learn things more when I\u2019m hands-on like this,\u201d said Tepeque. \u201cMostly, I love it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Click here<\/a> to read this story as it originally appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent<\/em><\/a> on November 7, 2019. SB Independent Schools of Thought Insert 11.7.19<\/a><\/p>\n

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