GM Donates New Cadillac To Camden County College Automotive Program

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Camden County College’s GM Automotive Service Education Program (ASEP) is now the proud owner of a 2017 Cadillac CT6. It received the donation from General Motors this week, the college announced.

“The thoughtful generosity of General Motors will help countless students gain extremely important skillsets into good paying jobs in the automotive field,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said.

“This Cadillac will be a lab for our students who want to become qualified mechanics, which serves a critical role of our community college, not to just advance higher education but to give options to students who take an interest in earning a living working with their hands. Whether it’s dental hygiene, welding or automotive technology Camden County College is the place where the community comes to learn and advance their career.”

Capelli’s father was a longtime member of Camden County College’s Board of Trustees.

The ASEP program streamlines the path to becoming a highly trained automotive technician in less than two years and partners with local dealerships to hire students completing their certifications.

Camden County College’s ASEP program has a 100 percent placement rate for graduates, and has educated over 230 technicians.

“Over the past number of years, we’ve seen an expansion of automotive advancements, from automatic parking systems to the increased production of electric cars, and we need skilled technicians now more than ever to make sure everything is running smoothly,” Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (D-Camden/Burlington) said. “The automotive technology program at Camden County College prepares the next generation of technicians for these high-tech jobs that will never be outsourced and will always be in demand for as long as we have cars on the road.”

GM has supported this program since 1983, when Camden Community College’s program was first named a GM ASEP location.

“We are proud to support training programs that prepare the next generation of automotive technicians,” GM ASEP Manager Michael Popowich said. “Our commitment to our customers goes well beyond building a quality product. Our dedication to excellence starts at the training level by partnering with schools in communities around the globe, including here in New Jersey, to share our collective passion for the automotive industry and educate, inspire and motivate the technicians of tomorrow.”

Since 2013, GM has donated 18 vehicles to the college’s ASEP, the only one of its kind in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area, with a 50-mile service radius. The vehicles donated recently include:
• 2015 Chevrolet Silverado
• 2014 Chevrolet Impala
• 2015 Cadillac Escalade
• 2013 Cadillac SRX

“This is a cost-effective way of getting into a highly technical area,” Camden County College ASEP Director Chris Gallo said. “Comparatively, proprietary schools offer similar programs in the range of $30,000 to $40,000 for tuition and fees. Camden County students not only pay much less—about $13,191—but they also earn money while learning the latest technologies.”

Camden Community College offers Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees in Automotive Technology. The college also offers a 20-credit certification in automotive training that provides a career ladder for those seeking a program that does not require academics at first.

For more information, visit http://www.camdencc.edu.

Patch file photo