Maxwell High School of Technology automotive students explore career opportunities

Maxwell High School of Technology recently hosted its annual Automotive Career Fair in partnership with Hayes Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), and I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair).

The career fair was held in two parts, focusing on collision repair and the mechanical industry. More than 200 Maxwell Automotive students attended and spoke with vendors to learn the ins and outs of the collision repair and mechanical industries and had the opportunity to find local jobs in their area. Culinary students joined the events by providing lunches under the instruction of Belinda Devasto. Maxwell automotive instructor, Max Chavez, says that every participating company looks forward to this yearly event, and they say it's the best recruiting event they participate in.

“The Maxwell Automotive career fair is the largest gathering of service managers and recruiters from more than 25 dealerships and shops in the Gwinnett area,” adds Chavez. “This event has kept us at the top of the list for most industry placement for a high school automotive program in the state. Students get to interact with companies from all around Gwinnett county and national agencies like ASE and I-CAR. This event is a direct pipeline to the automotive industry for students to start careers, not just jobs.”

Maxwell’s collision repair and mechanical programs use the ASE standards and I-CAR curriculum to teach the students. ASE provides nationally recognized certification for technicians in the automotive industry and accreditation for training programs. I-CAR works to train collision repair technicians to ensure industry quality work. The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is an educational division of I-CAR that handles career fairs, provides awards and scholarships for students, and gives grants to local schools.

Maxwell High School of Technology hosts multiple Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathways that focus on providing students with the tools they need to take on exciting career opportunities. This career fair takes place each year because of the dedication of collision repair instructors Paul Kable and Dela Cruze, along with mechanical instructors Max Chavez, Ervin Cruz, and Jose Angel who reflect the commitment of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) in providing students with opportunities to develop advanced, future-ready skills.