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Local business owner teaching students basic automotive skills

5 years 2 months 2 weeks ago Friday, January 11 2019 Jan 11, 2019 January 11, 2019 6:48 PM January 11, 2019 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Capital City Collision is an automotive body shop, but at times it serves as a classroom for kids from Community School for Apprenticeship Learning.

It's all a part of an apprenticeship class that focuses on general automotive work. The man in charge, Jason Hughes, dedicates his time to teaching. 

"What we decided to do was to combine my shop and the kids from that school and just start teaching them general, basic automotive things that make sense for them to understand, things at their age level," Hughes said.

This is the only 8th-grade automotive program in Baton Rouge, during the semester, students can earn high school credit. Once in high school, they can earn certification after completing a training program.

When they are not in the classroom, Hughes takes it up a notch to give them firsthand experience.

"When they are exposed to something they never have seen before, they get the opportunity to learn, and my biggest thing is learning," Hughes said.

Jaylan McCarty is one of Hughes students, she says the class allows her to help her father

"In the class, he taught us how to change tires, and stuff, in real life," McCarty said.

Others have been inspired by Hughes to follow in his footsteps.

"I want to be able to open my own business to where I wouldn't have to work for nobody else, and I can make my own money and work on other people cars as well," said Sidney Wright, another student.

Hughes believes, the industry needs more people in this field.

"Its a billion-dollar industry that is lacking workers. They need techs, they need service advisers, " said Hughes.

This summer, kids will be able to work in his shop under the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment program.

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