Adam Trimpey believes he has a head start. This 19 year-old is aiming for a career as an automobile technician. He got a head start as a student in the Bedford County Technical Center's auto-diesel program. "At the end of my junior year I was placed at Bedford Ford through the Tech Center's summer program and the during the following school year worked here through the coop program." Adam still works at Bedford Ford's Reconditioning Department as an auto detailer, doing what he calls "vehicular cosmetology."

His head start doesn't stop with work, however. He's now in the Allegany College of Maryland Cumberland campus auto technician program pursuing a degree and national certification. "So far it's pretty much been review for me - we had just about everything at the Tech Center. They said that I could come out of the Tech Center and go in any garage and work, and that's certainly true. But if you want to work in a big dealership you need advanced training." He says combining formal classes with hands-on experience at the dealership has allowed him to build his skills. "Working here has taught me a lot about what it's like in the real world and the problems you run into with live situations," he says. "It's also taught me a lot about patience and the importance of listening to customers so I can understand exactly what they're saying and understand their problems."

Adam says he chose his career because he likes to work with his hands and "tinker" and because he thought it would be a good career. "There's always demand for good mechanics," he says. "The pay is good, the work is fun and challenging, I like solving problems and I think I can do a good job for customers."

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