Talk about a career change

Bill Dean is leaving behind a 17-year career in radio broadcasting to become an automotive service technician.

“Yes, it’s quite a switch,” agrees Bill, currently enrolled in the Automotive Service Technician program at Malaspina University-College.

“I was laid off from a local radio station and forced to find a new career.”

Bill says losing his job may have been a blessing in disguise. He’s excited about the Malaspina program and confident he’s heading toward a successful and lucrative new career.

Bill earned a diploma in radio broadcasting from the B.C. Institute of Technology in the early 1980s. He worked at small radio stations in B.C. and Alberta before moving to the Wave and GPO (now the WOLF) in Nanaimo seven years ago.

“Technology and other advancements affected the broadcasting industry almost overnight,” he says. “Due to automation, there are fewer and fewer jobs.”

For instance, when Bill started working at a station in Grand Prairie “there were nine on-air people,” he says. “Within three years, we were down to five.”

Downsizing in local markets was inevitable and in August 2001 Bill lost his on-air radio position in Nanaimo. He qualified for employment insurance benefits and career planning programs through the Assessment and Referral Centre.

“With their help, I began the long process of finding a new career,” says Bill. “I decided that I didn’t want to leave Vancouver Island. I’m married and have a son and did not want to uproot my family.”

Bill examined his background and educational experience and looked at several possibilities, including a career in the film industry or as a heavy duty mechanic.

“I realized that tinkering with cars in the backyard has always been my hobby,” he says. “I enjoy it. A trade in the automotive service industry seemed like a logical career choice. It’s one of the most versatile trades I can think of. No matter what happens in our world, people need their cars to move around.”

The financial aspect was also appealing. Figures from Human Resources and Development Canada show that a journeyman mechanic earns between $24 and $30 per hour – typically much higher than wages earned by most people working in the broadcast industry.

Bill enrolled in the 10-month Automotive Service Technician program at Malaspina last September.
“The program is fabulous,” he says. “I can’t speak highly enough about the training facility at Malaspina and the quality of instruction. I love the fact that this type of program is offered right here in our community. The hands-on training appeals to me. We have two hours of theory each day and spend the rest of the day working on our own cars, customer’s cars and cars donated to the University-College. We’re learning all aspects of the automotive service industry, including oil changes, basic servicing, brakes and engine repair.

“I’m also learning about the phenomenal changes in the automotive industry in the past 20 years. These days, to work in this industry you require excellent reasoning, decision-making and critical thinking skills.”

Bill will be awarded the Automotive Service Technician certificate when he completes the program in June.

“I’ll be qualified as a first year apprentice,” he says. “I’m pounding the pavement right now looking for prospective employers. By the end of June, I hope to be working in the field as an apprentice.

“I’m optimistic because all of the employers I’ve spoken to agree that Malaspina’s Automotive Service Technician program has an excellent reputation.”