VINEMONT, Ala. – The Cullman County Board of Education (CCBOE) and Cullman Area Technology Academy (CATA) on Tuesday unveiled a 2019 Mercedes-Benz c300 sedan donated to the school’s Automotive Service Technology department by the German automaker’s Tuscaloosa plant. The vehicle, which was used for training at the plant, will provide students with an opportunity for hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technology, and creates a partnership that could lead to career opportunities with the manufacturer for CATA graduates.
CCBOE Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnette told The Tribune, “We’re very excited about this partnership with Mercedes. Steve Colburn, who’s from Mercedes, has worked closely with Wallace (State Community College) and their internship program, and through this partnership, we’re hoping that we’ll feed right into the Wallace program, but ultimately we’re wanting to turn students right out of high school to go get jobs at Mercedes. In conjunction with all our partnerships at Wallace, we’re hoping that this will work hand-in-hand together. We’re really excited about this.”
“The beauty of this whole program is the technology,” said CATA Principal Billy Troutman. “This car is state-of-the-art; it’s new, and so it’s going to allow our kids an opportunity to build some capacity, build some knowledgeable skills in something that they typically don’t have a chance to work on. The car is great, because not only do we have a vehicle, we’ll in turn supplement that with some current tools, some technology that we need to diagnose, troubleshoot and work on the car, and it’s just going to open up a whole new set of possibilities and a whole new world of knowledge that they might not be able to be exposed to otherwise. That’s a big deal that we’re excited about.”
CATA Automotive Service Technology instructor Tim Melton added, “We’re proud to have the car. It’s just going to be good for the kids to have the experience, especially on something this new, because we don’t often get to work on something this new and high-tech.”
Melton said the first hands-on project on the car would be a detailed look at the basic systems like brakes and suspension, before moving into higher end features like electronics.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our students to prepare for a future in the automotive industry. MBUSI (Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc.) has a wonderful apprenticeship program and this vehicle donation will be used to prepare students for possible careers in the service industry as well as opportunities in manufacturing. We are truly honored to receive this donation and very proud to have a partner like MBUSI that not only influences their community, but communities around the state as well,” said Troutman.
Positive Student Impact Automotive students will be able to use this vehicle to hone skills in trouble shooting, maintenance, electronics, engine, transmission, suspension and steering, brakes and many other aspects related to the repair of this vehicle. Students will use state of the art diagnostic tools and equipment to build a skill set that will prepare them for employment in today’s competitive marketplace.
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