WILLISTON, N.D. - Williston State College is pleased to announce that its Diesel Technology Program has achieved certification by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) in the areas of diesel engines, drive trains, brakes, suspension and steering, electrical and electronic systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and preventative maintenance inspection.
"There are not too many programs out there that are certified," said WSC Assistant Professor of Diesel Technology Rick Lund. "We are now one of the few programs in the nation, and the only one in the state of North Dakota, that are certified."
The WSC program was evaluated according to strict standards set by the automotive industry. They were evaluated by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) in all areas from the program's facilities to the number of instructional hours provided.
The first step toward certification is to send an application. "You self evaluate your program and turn that in to the NATEF national office," Lund said. "Then, if they approve your program, you get an on-site visit from four individuals and they look at everything from your application that you say you are doing."
He said that they also visit with industry people in the area where graduates from the WSC diesel tech program are working to see how well trained they were and how they are working for the company.
According to a letter sent to WSC President Dr. Raymond Nadolny from the NATEF, the WSC program met the strict industry standards required for ASE Master Certification of the program. This is the highest level of achievement recognized by the ASE, according to Williams A. Kersten, president of the NATEF.
The instructors, Rick Lund and Chris Egge, must also be master certified technicians and must be recertified every five years. "It's an ongoing process that we must keep up," Lund said. He added that the program, in order to keep its certification, will be re-evaluated every five years as well.
One bonus for the graduates of the WSC Diesel Technology Program is that "when they complete the program, they'll be trained with the most up-to-date equipment and are very employable," Lund said. "Their future employers know that they don't have to retrain them, they are ready to go for entry level positions."
For more information on the Diesel Technology Program at WSC, go to the WSC website, www.willistonstate.edu, or contact Rick Lund at 774-4525 or Chris Egge at 774-4264.
Photo:
The WSC Diesel Technology Program was recently certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Instructors Rick Lund (left) and Chris Egge, who are master certified technicians, hold the plaque that they received to commemorate this honor.