Published: July 20, 2009 01:40 am      

JOB: County connects out-of-school youngsters to the work force

NIAGARA FALLS — There was a time not so long ago when Angelina Dash didn’t know the first thing about fixing a car.

Today, with some hands-on training under her belt, the 19-year-old Niagara Falls native is helping seasoned mechanics with the complex job of replacing a lower intake manifold gasket on a Buick Century.

Dash’s transformation from novice wrench-turner to apprentice with a working knowledge of the tricks of the mechanic’s trade is happening at Steve’s Automotive on Main Street as part of the Out of School Student Program administered by the Niagara County Youth Bureau. Under the federally funded program, Dash not only received help in securing her GED, but is now learning some of the skills she’ll need to follow her new life’s ambition: Opening her own garage with an all female crew.

“I’ve always loved it,” said Dash. When asked about her interest in automobile repair. “My dad was really into all that kind of stuff, but nobody would teach me. They figured I was a girl and I couldn’t do it. I figured I’d learn it on my own.”

For the past two weeks, Dash has been working side-by-side with the mechanic’s crew from Steve’s Automotive, learning how to perform tune-ups, replace brakes, install wheel bearings and do other projects certified mechanics might encounter on any given day. Her scraped knuckles serve as proof that working in a garage isn’t, as she said, “man’s land” anymore.

“The stuff I’m learning now I would have never, ever been able to do before I went into this program,” Dash said.

The county Youth Bureau’s out-of-school work program is geared toward young people, ages 17 to 21, who may have encountered challenges in the traditional school setting, have had difficulties at home or have been assigned to the Probation Department after committing an offense. The grant-funded program, which has been in place since 2001, provides participants with an opportunity to take GED classes and even pursue scholarships at local colleges and universities. A key part of the program involves placing young people in work force settings like a garage where they can pick up rudimentary skills needed to put them on a path to a career.

Evelyn Borgatti, the case manager for the program, said 28 young people received out of school support from her office during the current funding year. She said the goal is to help them earn a paycheck as they look to improve their education or learn a new craft.

“I know some young people who have gone through the program who are making more money than me now,” Borgatti said. “A lot of them are becoming mature, responsible adults that will never have to be dependent on the system again.”

While Dash’s interests brought her to Steve’s Automotive, other program participants receive training as certified nurses aides or in retail and hospitality settings. A new program is in the works that soon will allow participants to receive training in heating and air conditioning repair.

“The trades are looking for people all the time,” said Joan McDermott, director of the county’s Youth Bureau. “They are begging for people to come into their apprentice programs.”

Steve Mayes, who has owned and operated Steve’s Automotive for the past 26 years, said he’s always looking for employees who not only know their way around the garage, but are willing to show up on time and put in an honest effort. All of Dash’s work is supervised by certified mechanics at the garage. So far, Mayes said, Dash has been a model helper who has shown a real affinity for the job.

“In our business, hands-on is the only way you are going to really grasp it,” Mayes said.

John Jeckovich, an automotive technology teacher at Orleans Niagara BOCES who has been helping to train young people as part of out-of-school work for the past seven years, said the hands-on experience provides the foundation students need to graduate on to bigger and better things. Graduates receive a certification stating they have completed the auto training program through BOCES. Jeckovich said many graduates use their training to help them secure jobs and pursue additional certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and to pursue their New York State motor vehicle inspectors license.

He said the success stories most often involve those young people like Dash who have the right attitude and a willingness to work hard and to learn.

“I find that most of them have real good attitudes,” Jeckovich said. “These guys, after a few months in this program, have the skills to become real mechanics.”