NASTF Fall Meeting Scheduled for Nov. 3

From the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) comes a reminder that its fall meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 1:30 p.m. at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Every service professional attending the International Autobody Congress and Exhibition (NACE) and Congress of Automotive Repair Services (CARS) is encouraged to be at the meeting. It will be held just prior to NACE and CARS.

Charlie Gorman, chairman of NASTF, said: "The fall NASTF general meeting is usually well-attended due to its proximity to NACE and CARS. Given the current economic conditions and dramatic changes in the marketplace over the past year, we're looking forward to some lively input and discussion at this gathering."

In addition to the regular committee and organization reports, the meeting agenda includes an update and discussion on the state of the industry and a panel on "Non-key code uses for the Secure Data Release Model."

NASTF has also announced it has a new e-newsletter - NASTF eNews - that is available to anyone by simply registering to receive it.

Registration for the quarterly newsletter is available on the NASTF Web site at www.nastf.org.

NASTF was established in 2000 to identify, communicate and resolve gaps in the availability and accessibility of automotive service information, service training, diagnostic tools and equipment for the benefit of automotive service professionals and their customers. NASTF was incorporated in 2006.

Shop Owner Praises AMI

Jerry Holcom, AAM

An article praising the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) was included recently in Identifix Update, which is published monthly by Identifix - a leading information resource designed to help technicians diagnose and repair cars quickly and efficiently. Identifix is a longtime ASA benefit provider.

The article was written by Jerry Holcom, AAM, owner of S&S Service Center Inc. in Kansas City, Mo.

Holcom said in the early 1990s, he attended a profit management class presented by an AMI instructor and was "overwhelmed!" He said AMI training "allowed him to grow from a technician who bought a repair shop to a manager who has a pretty good idea of what is happening in the industry and in my own shop."

He concluded: "I can't say enough about the staff at AMI. You know how you can tell if someone is smiling when you're talking to them on the phone? That's how I always feel when I deal with Toni Slaton or any of the great staff members."

To learn more about AMI, visit www.amionline.org.

ASE Launches Practice Tests

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has launched "The Official ASE Practice Tests" in response to requests from the industry.

It will provide technicians and other automotive professionals with the opportunity to take no-stakes online practice tests, with questions of the same content and format as those used in the ASE certification exams.

The practice tests can help prepare candidates for the regular ASE certification tests through an independent, precertification assessment of their competency, giving them an opportunity to improve their skills in areas of weakness prior to taking the actual ASE certification test.

For more information on how to purchase the practice tests on_line and the costs involved, go to the ASE Web site at www.ase.com.

CARS attendees will have an opportunity to prepare for ASE mechanical certification tests in free classes to be offered Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7. For more, visit ASRWNow.com.

Online Applications Available Now for 2010 GAAS Scholarships
Scholarship Deadline is March 31

Applications are now being accepted online for the 2010 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) scholarship, awarded to students planning automotive aftermarket careers. The application process is now entirely electronic through the GAAS scholarship Web site, www.automotivescholarships.com.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 31, 2010.

The scholarships are available to students in two-year technical college programs and vocational schools and four-year college programs. To receive a GAAS scholarship, applicants must be enrolled full-time in a college-level program or a NATEF (National Automotive Technician Education Foundation) accredited automotive technical program. Graduate programs and part-time undergraduate programs do not qualify.

The GAAS scholarship is unique in that technician recipients can receive two financial grants: one while in school to assist with tuition and an equivalent grant awarded to scholarship recipients who graduate from their program and show proof of postgraduation employment as a technician in the automotive aftermarket for at least six months.

By completing a single online application at the GAAS Web site, students will be considered for GAAS scholarships, plus scholarships from a number of industry partners.

In 2009, a total of 75 students - 68 in the United States and seven in Canada - were awarded scholarships by the GAAS scholarship fund, its contributors and other groups collaborating with GAAS. Individual scholarships ranged from $250 to $2,000. A second round of donations in July was made possible by donations of more than $10,000 at GAAS 2009. In its 14-year history, the fund has presented more than $1.4 million in awards to approximately 1,400 students.

The GAAS scholarship program is a joint professional education effort of the Alliance of State Automotive Aftermarket Associations (ASAAA), Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada, Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA), Automotive Service Association (ASA), Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), Motorist Assurance Program (MAP), Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Tire Industry Association (TIA) and University of the Aftermarket.