SCILL Center Students to Attend Chicago Auto Show

Mark Anderson
Mark Anderson

SCILL Center instructors, students and several chaperones will be attending the Chicago Auto Show this Wednesday.

“The great thing about the Auto Show is that we get to see just about every car manufactured that there is,” said Instructor Mark Anderson. “These kids are going to be able to see cars that are $1 million Bentleys, Maybachs, and cars that you may not encounter any other time in your lifetime. We’re also going to see engine cutaways and what we’re pushing them for is green. We want them to see all of the electric cars. We really want them to key in on those because by the time they get out of our program and out of college, those are more likely the cars they’re going to be working on.”

Mark was asked if the students get a chance to talk with the automobile manufacturers during the event and if the students get job offers from these visits.

“We usually go on a day when the manufacturers are there and they know that these are students coming out of Auto Tech programs and we have had a couple of students that have been hired,” replied Anderson. “One went to work for Mercedes Benz, in fact I think we have two working for Mercedes Benz.”

The quality of education the students receive from the SCILL Center Auto Tech program could be a reason why these students are offered prestigious jobs.

“Most of them go on to colleges such as UTI or something like that and if they sign on with one of the manufacturers, the manufacturers will generally pick up their college tuition as long as they promise to sign a one year or two year agreement with them to go to work for them. I had a student from John Glenn that signed on and he got a $10,000 moving bonus. They paid him $38,500 the first year and gave him a car. Once a month, he gets a brand new car to drive. It’s a pretty nice job.”