Cerritos has several specialty programs that range from culinary to nursing but one that stands out is the Ford Asset program in the Automotive building.

For one it is contained in its own area, which is hard to ignore while looking for parking.

The Asset program, which has been at Cerritos since 1986, is a two-year AA degree program paired with an apprenticeship program with Ford motor company, which aims to train students in factory technician training and certification so they are able to work at a dealership.

The program requires students to be sponsored by a dealership, so while they learn hands-on techniques during the day, they also practice those at night at the dealership.

Also it’s one of several programs offered by the automotive department that can lead to the position of ‘warranty work.’

Jon Bender, the automotive instructor for the Asset program, has seen the program grow from its early inception at Cerritos and recommend the program to many who have an interest.

“Anybody that’s truly interested in working on cars, fixing cars, if they have a mechanical aptitude […] Our Ford program is a great program for an entry level technician. I think we do a pretty good job here. There’s six full-time instructors here that all have responsibility for a program and we work well together. We all think our program is the best.”

Bender has a few reasons to believe Cerritos rises above other school’s auto programs.

“I think we are associated with these certain manufacturer’s and because the dealership is kind of the top of the automotive repair area, the dealerships have better benefits, there’s dealers everywhere […] Cypress has the Toyota program, and Rio Hondo has a Honda program. But other than that no one else has a General Motors, Ford and Chrysler program. We have grown over the years since I got here, and we’re just kind of famous, I guess.”

They even ‘learn while they earn’ and get paid at their dealership apprenticeship.

The program lasts for two years, and at the end of it each student should have an AA degree and a job at a dealership.

Salvador Martinez, a student in the Asset program who hopes to gain a dealership job, said, “I think it’s a really good program because there’s other things you can major in, you can also do your own things on the side. It’s helped me in a lot of ways because I won’t just get stranded on my own, I can work on my own automotive stuff, and it opens doors to not just one thing.”

There is also a fourth program called the ITTP Program, which is not associated with any manufacturer, but is designed to equip students with skills to work at a dealership of their choice.

Very new to the automotive department, the program that actually helps students find sponsors when they start the Asset program.

While students are supposed to already be sponsored before starting, that isn’t always the case.

It was only a month ago that a worker was hired to call dealerships and find sponsorships for Cerritos students, which has already gone into effect.

“A lot of us here in southern California like to have cars,” Bender said, “we all like nice cars; but somebody’s got to repair them.”