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The road less traveled

By CCBC Stories

April 26^th, 2023

Cynthia King grew up watching her father fix things – including the family’s cars – and she’s been interested in the automotive industry ever since. When it was time for the mom of three to start a new career path, she enrolled in CCBC’s Automotive Technology program.

The male-dominated field didn’t deter King from pursuing her dream. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up only 1.4% of the automotive repair industry in 1999. In 2022, the number of women increased to 12%.

While King is helping to bring up those numbers, she said when she first enrolled in the program, people had their doubts.

"Some of my friends were in disbelief that I would want to do this,” she said. “They say it’s not really ‘woman-like’ or I'm too girly to be a mechanic, but I’ve gotten over that."

According to Ryan Washington, coordinator of CCBC’s Global Automotive Technology program, King has already racked up a number of professional ASE certifications while also working at an independent auto repair shop.

"Cynthia is just a fantastic student to have. She’s eager to learn, she’s very attentive," said Washington.

Washington said now is a great time for anyone interested – including women – to get started in the industry. CCBC’s Automotive Technology program provides students with state-of-the-art automotive service and repair techniques, offering technical training both in the classroom and in the lab on CCBC vehicles.

"There are more cars on the road now than ever, and somebody needs to keep them on the road," he said. "We need technicians, and it doesn’t matter whether it's a man or a woman, we just need good quality people."

After graduating from CCBC, King would like to help meet that demand by one day opening her own all-female auto repair shop.

“For all the women I know, my friends and everybody I’ve spoken to, they have a feeling that they’re not listened to or they’re taken advantage of by male repair shops,” said King. “I figured an all-female shop will put them at ease."

CCBC’s Automotive Technology program offers a wide variety of certificates and an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree. The A.A.S. degree can be achieved through any one of four pathways. Those include a global option which covers a wide range of automotive makes and models, including a Chrysler-affiliated opportunity, Stellantis Career Automotive Program (Mopar CAP), and three other manufacturer-specific options including Ford, General Motors and Nissan.