’ll never forget when a prominent statewide car dealer 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 of grease and oil that might come to mind. Today, 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 – including many that offer signing bonuses.

The Biddeford Regional Center of Technology (abbreviated as BRCOT) located at Biddeford High School offers an excellent start in this career. And not just this career – careers in nursing, education, architectural design and of course, my favorite, welding (for which advanced certifications are offered). In fact, 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.

The school provides career and technical education for students from Biddeford, Kennebunk, and Old Orchard Beach high schools as well as Thornton Academy. 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 for a local Police Officer to 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. For just $10 per week, it’s a great child care deal for parents looking for a couple hours of coverage, and great training for the students as well, who work in conjunction with the childcare professionals on staff.

Plus, there are strong ties to the business community. Many of the classes are sponsored by well known area businesses, many of whom support 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 dual-enrolled in the college course and the BRCOT course, earning both college and high school credits. Upon successful completion of the course, he or she will then receive college credit, no different than if they had been on campus. These college credits have no cost and are fully transferable to most colleges and universities. What a head start that can be.

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 ahead. Most graduates, armed with those college credits, continue their training and education – but some can even 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.

Many of the programs at BRCOT still have open enrollment slots for interested students. Get started by visiting www.BiddefordSchools.me or calling 282-1501. To learn more and see it in person, there is an open house is on Wednesday September 6th from 5:30 to 7:30PM (see the website for details). Everyone is welcome and no RSVP is required. I’ll be there and it would be great to see you as well.

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 September 9). 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