Over 900 instructors attend ASE virtual training

Mike Coley, president of ASE Education Foundation, welcomes over 900 attendees to the ASE Virtual Training Conference.

Covid-19 did not hamper the Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) annual conference for motive-power instructors.

More than 1000 instructors from across North America registered for a virtual version of the instructor conference, and over 900 instructors participated in one or more sessions — a 150 percent increase over last year’s record-setting attendance.

Mike Coley, president, ASE Education Foundation, described the sold-out event as a huge success.

“We could not be happier with our first virtual training conference,” he said. “Many thanks to the presenters who shared critical information that instructors could not get anywhere else, and Cengage who provided the registration and webinar technical support.”

Educators who participated in the conference received a collective total of 5,700 hours of professional development training specifically geared to training programs coping with the effects of COVID-19. On average, each instructor participated in more than six hours of virtual training during the two days of the conference, all of which are applicable to the 20-hour annual training requirement.

The sessions covered a wide range of topics. Fernando Bleichmar, general manager of U.S. Higher Education and Skills for Cengage, gave the keynote address where he focused on macro trends in education. Toyota T-TEN instructors shared their Safe Lab plan, ASE staff discussed the impact of COVID-19 on program accreditation, and SkillsUSA showed how to develop students’ employability skills. Instructors also heard about varied instructional models, how to engage distance learners, and how to put work-based learning into action. Eight different publishers explored curriculum presentation in a virtual environment. Eric Chester, a noted speaker and author, delivered a closing speech that revealed keys to student motivation.

Instructors who were not able to attend the live conference will have the opportunity to view recorded sessions, download handouts and receive certificates of completion by visiting the Events section of the ASE Education Foundation website.

The ASE Education Foundation works with over 2300 automotive technology training programs and over 50,000 students nationally to provide the transportation industry a viable workforce through standards and credentials for institutions, organizations and individuals. The Foundation also offers career development and workplace exposure by creating relationships and partnerships with employers.