By Ian Johan-Gomez
Ian Johan-Gomez of ALLDATA recently met with Thomas Broxholm, coordinator of the automotive program at Skyline College, to discuss the industry and the future of automotive education. Although the college is located in California, Broxholm shared some insights and ideas that could be of value to students, instructors, and mechanical shops anywhere in the country. Here are some excerpts from the interview.
Ian Johan-Gomez: Let’s start with some questions about you. How long have you been in the automotive industry? And what made you want to become an automotive instructor?
Thomas Broxholm: Not counting my high school automotive experience, I’ve been in the industry since 1974. I discovered that I enjoyed helping coworkers and explaining stuff to them. I was pretty good at putting things into simple terms so that they could understand it, which made me feel like I had a knack for it. The other reason was when I was younger, I used to think about how my job would affect my body as I got older. Those two things steered me towards the education part of the industry, especially when I got an opportunity to try teaching and found out that I really liked it.
Johan-Gomez: What would you tell a recent high school graduate who is deciding between technical/vocational school versus a more conventional college path?
Broxholm: The standard education pathway is not really …
