Dan Baumhardt is the Director of Light Vehicle Test Development at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. A recent announcement from ASE announced a significant change to the Advanced Level L1 and L2 tests beginning in January 2024. The change involves moving to a paperless format for the Composite Vehicle documents that test candidates use while taking both the L1 and L2 tests at a Prometric test center. These documents will now be included in the test delivery platform in an electronic PDF form.

Dan also explains how this change will allow test takers to use Prometric's ProProctor test delivery platform as an option during recertification. ProProctor, a proctoring solution that allows technicians to take recertification tests remotely, requires that no books or papers be present during testing. 

Hear all about it as we talk with Dan about:

·         His role at ASE as Director of Light Vehicle Test Development.

·         The movement of the Composite Vehicle document from printed to an electronic PDF format.

·         How test takers will use the electronic document during testing.

·         How updates to the ASE tests are vetted for accuracy in measuring knowledge.

·         The way to download an electronic copy of the composite vehicle document at:  https://www.ase.com/ase-study-guides

·         Why it’s important to understand how to find the information in the document.

·         What technicians should do to prepare for taking the L-Series tests.

·         Why the composite vehicle documents were created.

·         How often the L-Series tests are updated.

·         The new ProProctor testing option that makes taking a recertification test more convenient than ever.

·         How to find more details and information on the ProProctor testing at: www.ase.com/proproctor

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

One of the most common words used to describe those individuals who make up Team ASE is passion. Another is experience. It’s not unusual to find someone who has a family background in the automotive industry standing in front of a training session passing along their knowledge. In this episode, you’ll meet a trainer who specializes in looking ahead to what’s next and the new opportunities emerging in the automotive industry.

Pam Oakes has more than 33-years of professional experience as a fourth-generation auto technician. She’s a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in automotive app engineering, business intelligence, technical training and an Automotive App Engineering Consultant at autoINENG.io, a company that provides innovative solutions for the automotive industry. Her qualifications are both impressive and an indication of the type of trainer typically found at the ASE Education Foundation Instructor Conference. Pam is a certified and recognized SME authority in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and sensors. She is a member of the National Science Foundation/National Council of Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) advisory committee, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Active Safety ADAS Sensor Calibration Task Force, and the Mobile Air Climate Society (MACS) 609 instructor/test proctor. She has also developed Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) exams for L4 (ADAS) and A7 (HVAC) certifications. Pam's mission is to share her knowledge and expertise with technicians, consumers, and businesses, and to help them navigate the rapidly evolving automotive technologies.

Hear all about it as we talk with Pam about:

·         Her role at autoINENG.io as an automotive applications engineer.

·         The ADAS training she offered at the Instructor Conference.

·         Her family background in the automotive service industry.

·         How she started and grew her own repair business.

·         Getting hooked on the passion of training others.

·         Taking advantage of the opportunities in the automotive industry.

·         The coming future automotive technology.

·         Why she thinks offering her knowledge to instructors is important.

·         Her views on opportunities arising in the industry for technicians.

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

One of the most important roles in Team ASE is filled by those individuals who dedicate their knowledge, skills and talents to preparing the technicians we need for today and tomorrow. In this episode, we talk with one of the automotive instructors who knows all too well just how important those technicians are to the future success of repair shops across the nation. Melissa Williams is an automotive instructor at James Rumsey Technical Institute in Martinsburg, West Virginia. She’s been in the automotive industry for 18 years, the last 12 as an instructor. We talked with Melissa at the 2023 ASE Education Foundation Instructor Conference, which she’s attended for the last five years to enhance her technical knowledge by taking advantage of the annual training available to CTE instructors. Melissa has done it all, going from technician to shop owner to automotive instructor in her career, and she uses that experience in the classroom every day.

Hear all about it as we talk with Melissa about:

·         How she got into the industry after serving in the US Army.

·         Her passion for learning new things and automotive technology.

·         The experience working as a technician in a dealership and an independent repair shop in Claxton, GA.

·         How life led her to an instructor position in West Virginia.

·         Her role at Rumsey Technical Institute.

·         How a simulated workplace helps exposes her students to different options.

·         The resources ASE Accreditation provides for her students.

·         Becoming an Evaluation Team Leader (ETL) to help other programs achieve accreditation.

·         Why ASE Certification has been an important part of her career.

·         Using networking opportunities to find new ideas.

·         Her experience as a woman in the automotive industry and as a CTE instructor.

·         How she worked hard to achieve all of her goals.

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

Team ASE has many supporters helping to build the future. Among them are many vehicle manufacturers, with specific training programs available to ASE-Accredited Career and Technical Education schools preparing the technicians of today and tomorrow. But they don’t stop there. Some go the extra mile by providing training for CTE instructors at the ASE Education Foundation annual Instructor Training Conference. Each July, both secondary and post-secondary instructors have an opportunity to keep up with advancing automotive technology by attending training classes sponsored by various vehicle manufacturers. It’s a commitment to make sure we have the technical talent we need in repair shops across the nation. We caught up with Joe Myers, Technician Development Manager, at the 2023 Instructor Conference to find out what kind of technical information Toyota shared this time around.

Hear all about it as we talk about:

·         His class on an overview of the Toyota BZ4X Electric Vehicle.

·         Highlights on the BZ4X cooling system.

·         The type of training instructors need to prepare new technicians for EV’s.

·         How EV’s use existing technology in electric vehicles.

·         Why EV safety training is the most important place to start.

·         The moving target of future EV maintenance & repair.

·         How existing skills are transferrable to EV service, diagnosis & repair.

·         Why electrical systems will become more complex going forward.

·         What typical maintenance will be the same for EV’s.

·         Joe’s advice to secondary and post-secondary instructors.

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

Heraclitus, a Greek Philosopher, is recognized as the first to say “The only constant in life is change.” That statement is not just a fundamental truth, it particularly applies to the automotive industry and those who work in it. On January 1st, 2024, a leadership change will take place at one of the most well-known organizations within the automotive service industry, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence when CEO Tim Zilke and Senior Vice President Trish Serratore officially begin their retirement. Back in August, Episode 2 of The Team ASE Podcast interviewed Dave Johnson and Donna Wagner, the incoming CEO and VP who will be succeeding Tim and Trish, and in this episode we’ll complete that circle by talking with Tim and Trish about their time at ASE, some of their accomplishments, and their plans for the future.

Hear all about it as they talk about:

·         Tim’s 32-year tenure with ASE and the changes he’s seen.

·         The shift to computer-based testing.

·         Trish’s experience meeting and interacting with the technicians.

·         The pride she saw in those ASE-Certified automotive professionals.

·         The growth from four to more than fifty ASE certification tests.

·         How ASE works with certified professionals throughout their career.

·         The industry organizations operating under the ASE umbrella.

·         The growth of Entry-Level testing for students.

·         The annual technician recognition program ASE provides.

·         The support and commitment ASE receives from the industry.

·         How a diverse board of directors and governors helps make it all work.

·         Their plans for after retirement.

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

Team ASE more than anything else is made up of individuals with a passion for improving themselves and the automotive service industry. They do this in a variety of ways, from promoting excellence with their personal commitment to professional certifications, to sharing the knowledge they gained with todays and tomorrow’s technicians. Those dedicated to ongoing training are the often-unsung heroes in our industry, whose contributions of time and treasure are a large part of the team building our future. In this episode, we talk with Scott Brown, co-owner of Connie & Dick’s Auto Service Center in Claremont, CA, and one of the leading technical trainers in the industry. We caught up with Scott at the 2023 ASE Education Foundation Instructor Conference in Atlanta, where he offered a unique training experience to automotive instructors preparing the next generation of technical talent.

Hear all about it as Scott covers:

·         His 40 years of providing expert service to generations of customers.

·         His class on Visual Tools for ADAS Instruction.

·         How he uses visual tools in training on complex automotive systems.

·         Why automotive technology will keep advancing in all vehicles.

·         Keeping automotive technology instructors & students ahead of the curve.

·         How he works with two apprentices in his shop to grow their experience.

·         Scott’s history of training on different topics.

·         How he uses real-world events in his training content.

·         Why he is passionate about sharing knowledge and training.

·         His goal of helping all in the automotive service industry to rise together.

·         His experience working with cutting-edge technology.

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

Since 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required all A/C service technicians who handle or purchase refrigerant for mobile A/C service and repair to be certified according to the EPA Section 609 Rule. This Section 609 Certification is offered by ASE, but it’s a little different from their regular certification process and should not be confused with the regular A/C certification tests. In this episode, we talk with Dave Cappert, the Administrator of the ASE Section 609 Certification Program, to get his thoughts on how the program began, how it works and why anyone who services automotive A/C systems should have this important credential.

Listen in as we talk with Dave about:

·         His role at ASE in the special testing department.

·         When and why Section 609 was created as part of the Clean Air Act.

·         How it helps in managing refrigerant emissions.

·         Why the ASE Section 609 certification is a training program.

·         What the Section 609 does and doesn’t cover.

·         Where you should display your Section 609 credentials.

·         How to take the Section 609 certification test.

·         All about the major revision in 2015.

·         The best way to prepare for the Section 609 certification test.

·         Dave’s work in offering the free ASE Webinars on a variety of topics.

·         Sign up for the webinars at www.ase.com/webinar-subscribe

·         Where you can find all the information you need at www.asecampus.com 

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

Last year, ASE celebrated their 50th anniversary providing certification credentials for automotive professionals. In the last half-century, ASE has become the gold standard for automotive technicians and a host of other individuals in the automotive service industry who keep America moving. But a lot has changed over the years, and ASE keeps evolving to meet the needs of those professionals working on advancing automotive technology. One of those evolutions has been the move away from paper-and-pencil testing to leverage modern computer technology and provide a variety of choices for those seeking to achieve ASE Certification. 

To help bring us up to speed on these new options, we talked with Matt Shepanek, Vice President of Credential Testing Programs. Listen in as we talk with Matt about:

·         Matt’s role at ASE and his professional training background in the industry.

·         The three testing options available to automotive professionals to recertify their credentials.

·         The standard computer-based testing process for first-timers.

·         The ASE Renewal App using a smart phone.

·         How the Pro-Proctor option offers increased convenience

·         Advice on the best way to prepare for taking an ASE test.

·         What study materials are available and the ASE Practice Tests.

·         Where you can find all the information you need at www.ase.com 

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

Corey Glassman is a familiar face in the automotive service industry. He’s an expert on pretty much anything electrical and was part of the team that developed the new ASE Electric Vehicle (EV) tests. Corey’s extensive electronic experience in the military and his 31-year career at FLUKE Corporation designing electrical test equipment make him one of the leading experts on electrical safety and automotive diagnostic equipment. He’s been an instructor, technician and the Global Training Manager at FLUKE.

Listen in as we talk with Corey about:

·         What the ASE EV tests are and how they work.

·         The different levels of the EV tests.

·         Who the different levels are designed for in the shop.

·         How the knowledge measured in the EV tests help improve shop safety.

·         Why the EV tests are important for maintenance technicians working on EV’s.

·         How the EV tests are put together and what standards they meet.

·         The extensive work put into developing the EV tests by ASE.

·         The subject matter experts who were part of the development team.

·         What knowledge the EV tests measure.

·         Where you can view and download the standards at www.ase.com/ev

·         The information on taking the EV tests online.

·         How best to prepare to take the EV tests.

·         What’s next in ASE certification of EV technicians.

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com

Bogi Lateiner is a familiar face in the automotive service industry. She’s a technician, former shop owner, host of All Girls Garage on Motor Trend TV and a champion for women in the technical trades. She’s also a spokesperson for ASE and one of the trainers at the ASE Education Foundation Instructor Conference this year. The automotive industry is changing and the number of women working as technicians is growing. We caught up with Bogi at the conference to get her thoughts on how we can change the culture in what has been typically a male-dominated workforce to be more welcoming to those young women thinking about a career in the automotive industry. She offers some advice for those training the next generation of technicians, as well as those already working in shops across the nation, and shares some of her experience to help better understand how we can change our culture to improve professionalism and evolve our industry for the workforce of today and tomorrow.

Listen in as we talk with Bogi about:

·         Her background and experience in the automotive industry

·         How she’s working to make the automotive industry the best it can be

·         Her thoughts on women in the automotive industry

·         The ways to change the culture to improve professionalism and industry image

·         Why some well-intentioned comments can have the opposite effect

·         What automotive instructors and trainers can do to help women succeed in the industry and the classroom

·         How doing nothing is sometimes the best course of action

·         Why being there for someone is the most important support you can offer

·         How communication skills can be the most important part of building teamwork

·         Creating a more professional, respectful and welcoming industry

·         How to find Bogi’s “With Her Two Hands” podcast

Stay tuned for more thoughts and advice on the many facets and opportunities available through a career in the automotive service industry as we continue our Team ASE podcast series, and thanks for listening!

For more information on ASE and automotive careers, visit the website at www.ase.com