From here, go to work as an automotive technician and business owner

Horace Linton used to tinker on cars. After graduating from Tidewater Community College, he turned the hobby into a career. “I was actually able to see what it means that education is key because it can help you secure your employment and earnings and then supply your dreams, whether it be the white picket fence or a cruise,” said the Virginia Beach resident, who earned an automotive degree.

Drive your future: In today’s busy world of work, family and leisure activities, reliable transportation is essential. With vehicles becoming more complex with advanced technology and dozens of computer systems in every car and truck, skilled technicians are in high demand by dealerships and local repair shops.

The degree: TCC prepares you to become a technician in the automotive industry or provides updated training if you’re already working in the field. Students can earn an Associate of Applied Science in Automotive Technology in the general program or specialize in a manufacturer-specific programs from Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Toyota and Subaru.

Every program enables you to become an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified technician in automotive chassis systems, automotive electronics, powertrains and engine performance.

Meet a TCC alum and automotive technology faculty member: Linton immigrated to the states from Jamaica in 1996. He came for the educational opportunities and a better future.

“At TCC you learn the science behind what you are doing and get a firm foundation for the future,” Linton said.

Linton graduated with his automotive associate degree and returned to TCC to earn his Associate of Science in Business Administration. He started his own automotive business after working as an ASE master technician in a variety of locations from Kramer Tire to Checkered Flag Audi and Porsche.

Linton owns a booming family business and works alongside his brother, mom and dad, while also employing other technicians. He specializes in wheel and rim repair, while also offering full-service automotive repair.

Students in the PTTC — Students in the Priority Technical Training Center came into the program with little knowledge, and will leave knowing how to diagnose problems and complete repairs.

Paying it forward: Linton is helping the next generation of technicians prepare for work in the field. He began teaching at TCC’s Regional Automotive Center in 2016 and now instructs students through the Priority Technical Training Center in Chesapeake, funded by Priority Automotive and designed to give nonviolent offenders from the Norfolk jail training for jobs as auto technicians.

Built and funded entirely by Priority, the state-of-the-art training center opens as dealerships across the country scramble to find highly skilled auto technicians to service vehicles that grow more technologically advanced by the day.

“When these students started they didn’t know anything about cars. Now I’m confident that they can do repairs properly,” Linton said. “I like the unique challenge of this program and enjoy mentoring my students and showing them another way of doing things. I feel like I’m making a real difference.”

Interested? For information about TCC’s Automotive Technology programs, contact Beno Rubin at brubin@tcc.edu or call 757-822-5000.

Counting down TCC’s 2018 milestones

What a year 2018 proved to be for Tidewater Community College, which marked its 50^th anniversary with a number of milestones.

A few highlights: The college celebrated its new footprint in Norfolk’s NEON District with the announcement of a new visual arts, culinary arts and restaurant management center coming in 2021, and it will benefit from a major gift for its hospitality program. Thanks to the generosity of Pat and Doug Perry, the newly named TCC Pat & Douglas Perry Glass Wheel Studio will also expand TCC’s offerings in the NEON District.

There’s more: TCC opened an academy in Portsmouth dedicated to the skilled trades, launched a technical training center for nonviolent offenders and announced plans for major redevelopment at College Point.

Take a look back at our top 10 highlights from a very good year.

10. No wonder vets feel at home at TCC, where about one-third of enrollment is military-related students. Military Times named the college “Best for Vets,” and tops in Virginia among two-year schools. Gov. Ralph Northam visited TCC in March for a Women’s Veteran Roundtable. In the fall, TCC received a fourth federal grant to help veterans transition into trucking careers.

9. TCC welcomed its second class of STEM Promise Program scholars – 19 students who will receive tuition and fees for two years while working toward an associate degree. Our inaugural class of STEM scholars will graduate this spring.

8. Joined by Priority Automotive and the Norfolk Sheriff’s office, TCC opened the Priority Technical Training Center in September, a state-of-the-art facility that offers nonviolent offenders a pathway to good careers after their release.

7. TCC’s Early Childhood Education program earned its own milestone. Last summer, the program achieved first-time accreditation from the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children.

6. Students at the Regional Automotive Center teamed together to finish a project car on behalf of their classmate, Jordan McNair, who died in a fatal automobile accident before graduation. Priority Automotive established a scholarship in his name.

5. A new partnership between TCC and Old Dominion University allows students to receive credit for knowledge, training and skills achieved in the workplace. TCC’s Associate of Applied Science in Technical Studies with a Specialization in Technical Supervision allows students to earn an associate degree in as little as three semesters.

4. New businesses along with residential and green space will be part of a dynamic new center with stunning water views thanks to the TCC Real Estate Foundation developing what’s been called “the last and best property available in Hampton Roads.” The northern Suffolk site, known as College Point, was TCC’s original home.

3. Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Bobby Scott joined TCC President Gregory DeCinque for the dedication of a unique academy in Portsmouth that provides short-term workforce training for in-demand construction and maritime trades. The 20,000-square-foot facility will teach students everything from welding to pipe fitting to marine coating and pipe laying.

2. A seven-figure donation from a Virginia Beach restaurateur will pave the way for the Houston “Hu” Odom Jr. School of Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management in the NEON District. Odom is president and founder of BOTH, Inc., a franchisee of Golden Corral restaurants. His gift will also be used to provide scholarships for students from Norfolk Public Schools who plan careers in restaurant management.

1. TCC made a splash @NEON in a big way! The Patricia & Douglas Perry TCC Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management will be a jewel and a gamechanger. Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander announced plans for the innovative, 47,000-square-foot center during his State of the City address last spring.

The transformative project will expand TCC’s visual arts program, train the next generation of chefs with a comprehensive culinary arts program, inaugurate a program in restaurant and hospitality management in Norfolk, provide dual-enrollment opportunities for Norfolk high school students and create a wealth of opportunities for collaboration.

See more TCC news.