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Graduate Spotlight: Alexander Hartley and Destry Young
Competing in skills competitions has proved to be a confidence boost for Durham College (DC) Automotive Technician – Service and Management (Motive Power Technician) students preparing to enter the real world of work.
Alexander Hartley was thrilled to win a gold medal at Skills Ontario this spring, and enjoyed the opportunity to compete nationally where he placed fourth at Skills Canada in May.
“This has been huge for me and my success in the trade and it will continue to be as I move up in the automotive industry,” he said.
In addition to competing, Hartley describes participating in a special project team and helping to build kit cars as a DC highlight.
“This gave me more experience in the aftermarket side of the auto world. I can’t thank my professors and the school enough for the time and experience they’ve given me,” he said. “I absolutely love the atmosphere of Durham College with so many other like-minded people around me who are also into the trades and many that love the automotive sector as much as I do.”
Looking towards the future, Hartley said he wants to eventually open a custom car shop.
His classmate, Destry Young, is also looking at owning his own business after graduating this spring. He wants to run a business focusing on restoration while doing various other jobs like selling parts, general repair and towing in between large projects.
Young said he began his college journey with some hands-on experience so his focus was on becoming a licensed mechanic.
“Having now completed the program and meeting many great professors through both my classes and the skills competition, I can say going to Durham College became significantly more than a step towards getting licensed,” he said. “The theoretical and hands-on knowledge I gained, primarily in second year, complemented what I had already learned from working in the trade and I believe it has put me leaps and bounds ahead of where I was two years ago.”
Young also competed in the Skills Ontario competition earning a bronze medal.
“As part of the skills competition, the professors and mentors at DC were able to provide me with priceless knowledge to help my understanding of everything that goes into making cars work,” said Young. “And that knowledge combined with my real-world experience has drastically boosted my confidence towards being a successful technician and eventually licensed mechanic.”
As he graduates, he said the thing that stood out the most about his DC experience was the openness of the classroom environment where faculty were open to both questions and suggestions on improving the learning experience.
“The best thing about DC was absolutely the people I got to meet along the way – good friends, mentors, and professors that helped to push me further than I ever could have gone alone.”
