Employers Benefit From Lincoln Tech Automotive Training
Employers all across the country benefit from the exceptional quality of automotive training that Lincoln Technical Institute (LTI) students acquire. Students receive a top-tier education with practical experience in many fields. Lincoln's Automotive school offers training in the fields of automotive technology, collision repair and diesel technology, to name a few. With the opportunity to enroll in specialized training programs, students gain real experience and are ready for a successful career. Students who qualify to work in the elite training programs are able to work for top manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo and Volkswagen. By introducing students to industry professionals, they will be better prepared to service high-end vehicles. These competitive programs are extremely beneficial for both students and employers. An excellent education is offered, and excellent employees are made.
Roger Pittman, the Parts and Service Director at Prestige Mercedes-Benz, is a partner of Lincoln Tech's specialized training program. Prestige Mercedes-Benz is an extremely influential Mercedes-Benz service department on the East Coast, and has a great relationship with the school. He sat down with us to talk about the partnership.
Lincoln Tech's Automotive Training Benefits Mercedes Benz Dealership
LTI: How did the relationship between LTI and Prestige Mercedez-Benz begin?
Nella is the first person I met when we did the room. My boss, Bill Berardino, came to me and said, "Go down to see Nella at Lincoln Tech and basically do whatever she's asking." And little did he know that she was asking me to redesign an entire room, curriculum, host a Prestige day, host events and have a career-builder night here. Her passion is really what drives us to be a partner with Lincoln Tech, and she should get a big round of applause for her efforts.
How long have you been in the industry?
I have been at Prestige Mercedes-Benz for five years, and I've been in the car industry for about 30 years.
What is Prestige's claim to fame?
We are the largest Mercedes-Benz service department on the East Coast.
That must mean you have a very large staff. How many people work in your service department?
Yes. We employ about 70 technicians and about 147 parts and service employees. And over 20 of our technicians are actually Lincoln Tech graduates.
That's amazing. That must mean the relationship is working out for both parties.
Because of our relationship, we get the cream of the crop. They are recommended to us and they have a paved path to get right to my office to meet with me and have a good conversation. I think that without that career service they would walk in with no plan, no understanding of what can and cannot be done here, and no understanding of the development path that we'll take you through if you're dedicated to us - the way they should have been dedicated to going to school.
Our relationship with Lincoln Tech goes deeper than just hiring people. We've been involved in career days, developing a little bit of curriculum, and they have chosen the students to meet the needs of working for the number-one Mercedes-Benz dealership in the Northeast. We think their investment in their education impacts their investment in the workplace here as well.
Have those who have graduated from Lincoln been successful?
I think, when students go to Lincoln Tech, they don't really understand the effort Lincoln Tech is putting in on their behalf to provide a future. We all know you can pay for schooling and you can graduate. But what you do with that degree is really the measuring stick of how good an education was. At this point, the relationship we have with Lincoln Tech proves that measuring stick is doing quite well, because 33 percent of our technicians are graduates from Lincoln Tech.
It was pretty interesting when we looked back to see just how many employees we had from Lincoln Tech; we found that it was over 20 out of the whole technician group [of about 70], and it was very telling to us that Lincoln Tech has provided the foundation of the technician base at Prestige Mercedes-Benz. I think the numbers speak for themselves.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today, Roger. We are extremely grateful to have such a mutually beneficial relationship between Prestige Mercedes-Benz and Lincoln Tech.