Thirty-eight Central Tech students explored automotive recycling and repair careers during a facility tour at Standard Auto Wreckers, learning about diverse opportunities in skilled trades beyond traditional dealership work. The visit highlighted how hands-on learning and industry exposure can inspire students to pursue fulfilling careers in the automotive sector.
- 38 students from Toronto's Central Technical School toured Standard Auto Wreckers' facility on October 23 to explore automotive careers
- The automotive recycling company dismantles end-of-life vehicles and sells reusable parts, with operations in Scarborough, Port Hope, and Ottawa
- A shortage of skilled trades workers in automotive occupations is driving educators to promote hands-on careers as alternatives to university
- Students expressed interest in diverse automotive paths, including dealership ownership, body repair, and automotive recycling operations
- Industry visits provide valuable real-world perspective that classroom learning alone cannot offer, according to teachers and facility owners
A group of 38 students from Toronto’s Central Technical School explored careers in automotive recycling and repair during a visit to Standard Auto Wreckers’ main facility on Oct. 23.
The visit began with a question-and-answer session with firefighters from the Markham Fire Department, followed by a tour of the facilities.
Standard Auto Wreckers is a Scarborough-based automotive recycler that dismantles end-of-life vehicles and sells reusable parts. The company also has operations in Port Hope and Ottawa.
Owner David Gold said the visit was intended to show students the work available in their communities and the value of practical skills.
“Some of these kids like to work with their hands, they like to fix things, that’s not going away,” he said.
Gold said teachers wanted opportunities to take students into workplaces, but finding businesses able to accommodate a large group could be difficult. For many students, the scale of the recycling operation was something new.
“They’ve heard about it, their parents have heard about it, and they’re learning, they’re engaged,” he said.
“I’ve done this many times, and I’ll tell you, I haven’t seen this kind of excitement from a group.”
For Kevin Fam, Central Tech’s department head and Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) lead for automotive and construction, the visit also offered a different perspective on an industry he knew from dealership work and running a bodyshop.
“Seeing this facility at Standard has really been an eye-opener. Coming from the private sector where I’ve worked in dealerships, we’ve dealt with Standard Auto before but never seeing the behind-the-scenes operation has been really fascinating,” Fam said.
Fam now teaches auto body repair and has been teaching for almost four and a half years. He wants students to understand the range of automotive careers through a curriculum that reflects the modern industry. "I’ve been teaching now for almost four and a half years and this has become a real passion,” he said.
With a shortage of skilled trades workers, particularly in automotive occupations, Fam said he was trying to provide “a different perspective, a little more modern approach to the automotive curriculum” to encourage students to consider the field.
University has been heavily promoted in high schools, he said, but does not suit every student. He described automotive work as fulfilling and mentally stimulating, with hands-on learning that he considers invaluable.
The students interviewed during the visit had different ambitions.
One hoped to follow his brother into work at a Volkswagen dealership before eventually owning a dealership himself.
“My brother’s been doing it, my dad’s been doing it, so we all got into it at a young age,” he said. “My goal is to work in a dealership, work my way up to the point where I own a dealership.”
Another had tried other technology courses before finding an interest in automotive work.
“My family always told me, do something that you like because if you go and do a job that you don’t like, you’re going to live a boring life,” he said. “I felt like auto was my calling.”
A third student could see a future at a dealership or an automotive recycling business. “I realized I’m more of a hands-on person and I like working with tools and getting inside the car itself,” the student said.
A Grade 12 student considering aviation said she enjoyed working with tools and understanding the process. “I love the challenge,” she said.
Transportation teacher Alwin Cho said the visit added another perspective after 24 years in the automotive industry. “It’s really good to see the auto wrecking side, the recycling side, where cars go after they’re done,” he said.
Cho had been teaching at Central Tech for one year, returning to the school he once attended. “I’ve been a student just like them at Central Tech as well,” he said.
Gold said he wanted to continue accommodating school groups. “The teachers are appreciative, they don’t have as many places to go, so I think we’re going to continue to do this,” he said. “When we get requests to do this, we’re more than happy to.”
