As a young boy, John Rangel could often be found disassembling objects and putting them back together, like his family’s snowmobile engine. 

“All the gears and mechanics that it takes to keep things going has always fascinated me,” he said.  

That hands-on, systematic way of thinking led Rangel to pursue a career as an automotive technician – a profession that is in high demand across the country.

Rangel, from Whitehall, is one of eight students who received a scholarship from General Motors (GM) to study automotive technology at Delta College. The General Motors Dealer Technician Scholarship provides full-tuition support for two years to students in the GM Automotive Service Education Program (ASEP) at Delta. 

The scholarship was designed to attract and support students interested in pursuing a career as a GM dealer technician, as well as help address the growing need for highly trained automotive service technicians. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the industry will need 46,000 more technicians by 2026 due to anticipated demand and attrition. 

Jim Miller, assistant professor of automotive service technology and coordinator of the ASEP program at Delta, said there’s been a huge technician shortage forecasted for many years.  

“High school auto shops are a dying breed, so students aren’t exposed to it early on as a career choice,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for students to learn the technologies inherent in modern GM vehicles while not having to worry about the cost of a degree. Thanks to GM, this scholarship will give students a huge step up in the industry.”

Delta is one of seven institutions across the country chosen to participate in the scholarship pilot program. 

Terry Rhadigan, executive director for GM corporate giving, said he hopes the scholarship program will help tear down the barriers that stand in the way of people pursuing a career in the automotive field.

“After two years, we want people to hit the ground running, so we will help them get a quality education, technical training and hands-on experience without the burden of student loans,” said Rhadigan. 

Rangel said the scholarship will help his future. 

“If I didn’t get this scholarship, I would not have gone to college,” he said. “I would’ve learned about things on the job and it would’ve taken me years to do that.”

With this scholarship, he said, he gets to bypass all of that. “I’m learning 20 years’ worth of knowledge in two years,” he said. 

Anthony Meyers, an Army veteran, is also a recipient of the scholarship. He’s worked for a GM dealership in Linwood for three years. 

“I want to reach a more advanced skill level,” he said. “This scholarship will help me get there.”

About ASEP at Delta College

In addition to classroom training, the GM ASEP program provides students with internship opportunities at GM dealerships. GM dealers provide the students they sponsor with a paid, hands-on opportunity to work alongside experienced technicians, with the intent of developing a potential long-term employee. 

Interested in learning more? Contact the ASEP coordinator, James Miller, Assistant Professor at jamesmiller@delta.edu or 989-686-9258.