Two second-year students from the Copper Country Intermediate School District's (CCISD) Career & Technical Education Automotive Technology program have secured spots in the upcoming SkillsUSA state competition in Grand Rapids on April 11-13. Cara Keranen and Samantha Narhi recently gained valuable experience performing a Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) with Technician Jeremiah Black at Keweenaw Chevrolet GMC in Houghton.
The PDI is a key task in the automotive industry, ensuring that a vehicle is in top condition before it’s handed over to the customer. It's a great learning opportunity for the CCISD Automotive Technology students. This experience allowed the students to check for manufacturer defects, inspect vehicle systems and features, and complete necessary documentation—all essential skills for aspiring automotive technicians.
This year's SkillsUSA competition features a PDI station sponsored by GM, giving students exposure to the latest GM technology and standards. The sponsorship adds prestige to the event and provides participants with valuable industry connections.
Jared Ruotsala, Service Manager at Keweenaw Chevrolet GMC, said, “We are thankful to have a local CTE Automotive Technology program to peak interest in young people for the automotive industry as we need so many people. It's also great to see girls interested in the field. There are so many different paths in addition to technician such as parts, service, detail, sales, and finance.”
By completing a PDI as part of the competition, students will demonstrate their ability to assess a vehicle's readiness for delivery, which is an essential skill in the automotive industry. This station will likely test their attention to detail, diagnostic skills, and ability to work efficiently under pressure - qualities highly valued by employers in the automotive sector.
“The CCISD CTE Automotive Technology program would like to thank Keweenaw Chevy for the opportunity for some of our state qualifiers to practice in a real world setting. Thank you also to all of our program advisory board members and local industry supporters,” said instructor David Narhi.