Automotive Tech vs Collision Repair?
 

if you have to choose one between the 2, which one would you choose?

auto tech..i guess

Auto Tech. I've done the Collision repair course (BCIT)... it was kinda crappy... though the profession itself is kinda meh, somewhat repetitive, very unhealthy etc. I'd also suggest VCC, all of my friends that have gone there said it was awesome...

Service advisor!

service advisor is awesome, but you have to deal with a lot of shitty customers

I didn't like BCIT's autobody course either.

OP, it really depends on what you like better.

depends on what you like better,

both are hazardous to your health, both are semi-reptetitive, VCC has good courses for both (I'm in collision right now). I wasn't interested on working on brake job after brake job on tercels and civics for the next 20 years, I chose something that dare I say, requires more skill to do. And I say that mainly because we have to be auto mechanics and body techs all rolled into one, we do all that they do, except for motor swaps and tranny swaps, and fiddling around with computers.

Autobody is way more hazardous than auto tech. The only mechanical work most bodyshops do is steering, suspension, some interior trim, airbag replacements and the odd rad/ac replacement - zero diagnostics.

True. But the money is good and you don't get your hands dirty.

If you have to ask, neither.

^^

lol :).

but to re-iterate on my first post.

I am in VCC right now, and quite frankly I am dissappointed with the program in it's entirety.

They lied to us about the length of the program, shuffled us with many different instructors in short time frames, gave us instructors who would just talk down to us all day long and talk for hours in the classroom off topic boring the shit out of us, then hassling us to the point of just wanting to go home and not continue in the program when we had a tiny mistake in our work... but hey, we're learning right? it's proper to treat us like shit. Our first instructor was always half an hour late, would dissapear when we do our tests for approx 45 to an hour, and make fun of the disabled students and the racial students, our second instructor talked down to us hardcore and made sure to tell us everything he was saying was way above us etc etc, and today they just decided to spring it on us that our course is now a month longer than any paper work or phone conversations had stated before, I signed up for april-nov, not april-dec. can't put my life on hold for another month.

it's not like this is my first college, and no I am not being a whiny complainy bitch, They have been doing this program for decades, but it seems like they have no fucking clue what they are doing. Maybe I am just expecting too much, I don't know, but coming from UVIC... I am shocked.

...........But, it may be better of the 2 evils. Mainly because the VCC program is a 8 month program and it covers level 1 and level 2, it gives you the hours to count towards your first years apprenticeship, so you enter as second year. At BCIT, however, they give you your level 1, but only 5 weeks of level 2, so you have to go out in the field for an extra year or however many hours it is to finish the level 2, then go out for a year, yadda yadda. So it can be shorter with VCC. But again, I feel cheated and think I will try to transfer to BCIT for my level 3 and red seal exams.

If you do decide to go to VCC, just expect a zero level of professionalism or respect (on the autobody side, I have no idea what the mechanics are like)

interior trim is part of autobody's job right? or is it mechanic's?

it could be either, they blur a lot of lines when working in the autobody shop, whatever needs to be fixed.

Ya the autobody guys like to pretend they know what they are doing, and fuck shit up =P

I felt bcit was somewhat similar to how you described vcc, not quite as extreme... though when I went to BCIT (completed it in june) It was all 3 levels at once, and was a one year course(well one academic year, sept to june), so you may have to rethink your options... unless things have changed already.

I wanted to be in collision repair, but then I talked to a few people who had done it and hated everything about it. I forgot about that for years!

I started an automotive technician apprenticeship march 08 and I start first year at BCIT this month yay!

I'm pretty happy with everything on the tech side

Congrats Eric. I took autobody at VCC, dropped out after a month. Decided it wasnt for me, and to be honest, I didnt really like the teaching style there. You want to take auto tech, and take a vancouver vacation, apply to Okanagan College in kelowna. They have a really good program, with teachers that will take the time with you.

Thanks Kenny, The second i get fired for showing up late for work again I'm coming to kelowna, and you'll have to hook me up.
Oh yea, always keep me on tap for a new job since I have a drinking problem that disagrees with my alarm clock. and I'll need to live with you.

well chances are your level 1 teacher at vcc was dan boan and he makes vcc look bad by not teaching shit for 4 months

Fuck I'm going to VCC to check out the programs as part of my high school co-op program Tuesday. I REALLY want to know what the auto tech program is like there ahead of time, otherwise, I'll consider BCIT or Kwantlen.

Anyone got an opinion on the last 2 I mentioned?

i personally think vcc isnt a bad place to learn. there are alot of students that join the class and dick around and distract you but you just have to ignore them and accept that they will be working at mcdonalds for the rest of their lives. it also depends on what teacher you get. there is about 5 teachers and ive went through 4 or so and i think they are all good teachers in their own way. they all tell you differnt things so its up to you to decide what is the "correct" one.

The teacher part I understand, but the first part you said basically described my auto tech co-op class right now! Bunch of kids who fuck around, show up late, and basically don't care about how serious the class is.

Romashenko still there?

I took that course 12+ years ago and it was the same shit then. A handful of us would come in early to work on our junk, skip break and have to get kicked out at lunch and after class. We actually wanted to learn and took advantage of the facilities and teacher's advice to work on our cars.

The teachers knew those who wanted to learn and focused on them - the rest they just went through the motions with - getting them to do oil changes, disassembly, brake jobs etc. (that's all they were really good for anyways). If you showed them a willingness to learn, they would go out of their way to help you out.

All the guys who actually tried, got into shops right away.