Saint Paul College recently held an Auto Career Fair where local and national businesses sought automotive students for full- and part-time positions as Technicians, Mechanics, and Parts Counterpersons. SPC has a strong pipeline of connecting students to fulfilling careers, and this event included numerous alumni returning to our campus to recruit from a robust pool of nearly 50 current students. The Career Fair included tours of the new electric vehicle lab, where EV classes will begin next Spring.

Auto Students

One alum is Josh Ruiz, a 2023 SPC alum who has always been interested in cars. His older brother attended SPC for the Electrician program and spoke glowingly about the SPC learning experiences with his younger brother. Josh followed his brother’s advice and enrolled at SPC, where he was impressed with his teachers’ professional yet relatable and realistic approaches to safely working with automobiles. He enjoyed the casual learning atmosphere and the caring, supportive network of students who helped him embrace his passion for fixing cars.

Now rapidly growing in his career development at Inver Grove Honda, Josh has quickly advanced from runner to basic mechanic work and recently to A-level technician, the most qualified and experienced technician level at the dealership. This dealership has 44 mechanics, including seven from the SPC Automotive Technician program. Inver Grove Honda Service Manager Kirsten Nelson thoroughly enjoys working with SPC students who want to gain experience while working around their school schedule. She adds that her focus in recruiting quality automotive technicians is to help students adjust from school into a long-term, fulfilling career, not just a job. For Kirsten, the pipeline for more students is wide open:

“Inver Grove Honda is very pleased with the hard-working, great people that the SPC Automotive Technician produces each semester. These students come well-prepared and motivated to be fantastic workers and pleasant all-around people to work alongside.” – Kirsten Nelson, Inver Grove Honda Service Manager

Honda has five dealerships across the Twin Cities regional area, including the Inver Grove Heights location. Go to Automotive Service Technician to learn more about how you can turn your passion for cars into a rewarding career.