I’ll never forget when prominent local car dealer Adam Lee spent a day with us at the Legislature. He said to me, “Marty, skilled automotive technicians are making twice as much as engineers right out of school.”

Now, I’m an engineer. So maybe I was a little offended by that. But it turns out it’s true. The technical side of automobile repair has advanced to the point where the career is not the image you have in your head. Instead, it requires advanced training in a combination of electronics, troubleshooting, and mechanical skills. And people with that training are in high demand. Just take a look at the help wanted listings and you’ll see many open positions for automotive professionals — many that include signing bonuses.

The Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, known as BRCOT, located at Biddeford High School, offers an excellent start in this career. And not just this one — careers in nursing, education, architectural design and of course, my favorite, welding (for which advanced certifications are offered). Every day at the Center of Technology, automobile emissions systems are being calibrated, videogames are being designed, control cabinets for medical imaging devices are being fabricated, nursing home patients are receiving care, houses are being designed and built, and educators of the future are being trained.

It’s truly a regional effort. The school provides career and technical education for students from Biddeford, Kennebunk, and Old Orchard Beach high schools as well as Thornton Academy in Saco. And it’s not just in the classroom. The classes tend to take a learn-by-doing approach. For example, it’s common for students in Legal Studies to spend a day job-shadowing in court, or have a member of one of the local police departments join the class and teach for a day.

Another example is the very popular Mother Goose program, which combines training in early childhood education with low cost child care. The students begin the year with classroom training, and by mid-October are working with actual preschoolers, age 4 and under, who attend the program in two hour blocks each day. It’s a great child care deal for parents looking for a couple hours of coverage, as enrollment is only $10 per week, and great training for the students as well.

There are strong ties to the business community, with many of the classes sponsored by prominent local businesses who in many cases offer college scholarships. BRCOT even offers college credits, with classes supported by Thomas College and Southern Maine Community College, among others. This is kind of remarkable. A student is enrolled in the sponsoring college’s course and the BRCOT course at the same time, earning both college and high school credits. The student will receive a transcript from the college upon successful completion of the course. This is the same transcript as if they had taken the course on the college campus. These college credits have no cost and are fully transferable to most colleges and universities.

To sum up, what was once known as “voc-ed” is now known as Career and Technical Education. I’ll emphasize that first word, career. It’s a heck of a way to get started. Most graduates, armed with those college credits, continue their training and education — but some enter full-time employment directly out of the program. In fact, it’s not uncommon for businesses that are involved with the classes to hire students for summer jobs or for full time employment directly after graduation, fully trained for a start in their field.

And guess what? The Biddeford Regional Center Of Technology is now offering college level classes in, you guessed it, engineering.

— Rep. Martin Grohman of Biddeford is serving his second term in the Maine Legislature and is a member of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. Outside the Legislature, he is chair of the Biddeford Solid Waste Commission (note that Biddeford’s Household Hazardous Waste Day is Saturday). Marty also hosts a podcast for Maine entrepreneurs called The Grow Maine Show, available on Apple Podcasts. Sign up for legislative updates at www.growmaine.com or facebook.com/repgrohman.