Automotive Academy

The Van Nuys High School Automotive Academy is a Transportation Systems Diagnostics, Service & Repair pathway sequence of two or more CTE courses within a student’s area of career interest; It is designed to connect high school classes to college, industry, and career and has been in place for the past 14 years. It prepares students for a wide range of high-wage, high-skills, and high demand careers. The students gain knowledge, technical skills, and soft skills making them employable regardless of the field of study they pursue.

The Van Nuys High School Automotive classrooms consist of two areas one is the main shop and the other classroom is also a computer lab that holds 45 desktops that students are allowed to use during class time, nutrition, lunch, before and after school. This not only allows the students to work on Automotive assignments but their academic assignments as well.

The Automotive Academy is also associated with SkillsUSA, which is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. VNHS’s SkillsUSA organization provides the academy students with educational programs, community service, and competition events that support CTE in the classroom.

The Automotive Academy is articulated with Pierce College, Cerritos College, and LATTC to provide the students with an opportunity to get through college faster; articulated courses help the academy students get a foot in the door at college and a jump start in their careers. Students enrolled in the Automotive systems course in the high school level receive 5 college units for the articulated course in college.

Our Advisory meetings consist of 22 business and education partners who have contributed immensely to the development and maintenance of the Van Nuys High School Automotive Academy. They have been involved in various ways such as mentoring and employing our students, donating equipment, hosting work-based learning events, and many more. The Keyes Automotive Group donates equipment, sponsors events, provides mock interviews and competitions, mentors, and provides internships with future employment possibilities to our students. They have also made us an MB Star Connect School which provides the students with access to Mercedes Benz training. Galpin Motors donates vehicles, equipment, sponsors events, provides scholarships and provides internships with future employment possibilities to the students. Through this partnership, we have become part of the Ford ACE Program which is a program between Ford Motor Company, Ford / Lincoln dealerships, and secondary and post-secondary educational institutions.

Some of the industry-recognized certifications offered in our program of study are NC3 PMI 1 –Tape & Rule Measurement, NC3 PMI 2 – Slide Caliper Measurement, NC3 PMI 3 - Gage Measurement, NC3 PMI 4 – Angle Measurement, NC3 PMI 5 – Micrometer Measurement, NC3 PMI 6 – Dial Gage Measurement and NC3 – 525 Multimeter Certification. We also provide our students with the opportunity to take the ASE Student Certifications A1-A8, and the Sp2 Automotive bundle: SP2 Automotive Service Safety, SP2 Automotive Service Pollution Prevention, Supervisor’ Course, Preparing Vehicle for Service and working with costumers & SP2 Soft Skills: Land that Job! Building a Resume, Land That Job: Interview Skills for Automotive Students, Ethics and YOU in the Automotive Industry, and Time for a Team Huddle! Running Successful Team Meetings.

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE