Auto Body Program

The auto body program at Cerritos College prepares students for careers as a custom painter, technician, glass installation technician, welder, metal fabricator, or paint technician. The program focuses on applying technical knowledge and skills to repair, reconstruct, and finish automobile bodies, fenders, and external features. Program courses include: structure analysis, damage repair, non-structural analysis, mechanical and electrical components, plastics and adhesives, painting and refinishing techniques, and damage analysis and estimating. Get more details below including other California colleges that offer auto body program.

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Cerritos College

24 East Alvin Drive, Salinas, CA

Cerritos College is a two-year community college located in southeastern Los Angeles County, serving students from Bellflower, Downey, Norwalk, and La Mirada, among others. Cerritos College offers associate's degrees and vocational certificates in 87 disciplines, within nine academic divisions. The faculty of dedicated professors has a distinguished reputation as experts who have conducted research and published extensively in their fields.

Cerritos College ranks third in the State of California among community colleges for the number of associate's degrees it grants to Hispanic students.

Cerritos is unique among community colleges because it is the only community college in California with three manufacture-sponsored technician programs. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors sponsor the Advanced Transportation Technology & Energy (ATTE) program at Cerritos, which runs educational partnerships with these automotive manufacturers.  The college is establishing a new alternative fuels demonstration lab and meeting a need for specialized technicians.

Cerritos College has highly recognized teacher-training programs as well.  In partnership with California State University Long Beach, the Teacher TRAC program allows education students to complete their bachelor's degrees and multiple subject credentials in four years. Teacher TRAC also launched the Cerritos College Urban Teacher Fellowship in 2010, which provides services for at-risk youth who are interested in teaching K-12.

History

Cerritos College was founded in 1955.

Academics

The academic calendar at Cerritos College offers fall and spring "Semester Terms" that are available in 9-week, 15-week and 18-week sessions.

Colleges and Schools

The academic units at Cerritos College are organized into divisions, rather than colleges and schools. The Cerritos College academic divisions are:

• Business Education
• Fine Arts and Communications
• Health Occupations
• Health, Physical Education, Dance and Athletics
• Humanities/Social Sciences
• Liberal Arts
• Science, Engineering and Mathematics
• Technology

Additional Academic Programs:

• Bilingual Programs (ESL)
• Distance Education
• First Year Experience
• Summer Connections
• Learning Communities
• Teacher TRAC

Community, Industry and Technology Education (CITE):

• CITE
• Adult Education and Diversity Programs
• Community Education
• Economy Development
• Pathway Programs
• Perkins/VTEA
• Northwood University (offering four-year degrees to working business students)

Student Life

There are several student clubs and organizations available on the Cerritos College campus covering a range of interests. These are supervised by the Associated Students of Cerritos College, which also provides information on campus events and activities, including an activities calendar. The Student Center, which houses a game room, food court, and information on student housing, also offers a Culinary Arts Program.

Student services at Cerritos College include:

• Academic and Student Services
• CalWORKS
• Career Services
• Counseling
• Disabled Students Services
• Student Health
• International Students
• Job Placement
• Re-Entry Center
• Transfer Center

Traditions

The traditional school colors for Cerritos College are blue and white. The school mascot is the falcon, and the athletic teams are nicknamed the Cerritos "Falcons."

Athletics

The Cerritos Health, Physical Education, Dance and Athletics (HPEDA) Division offers 19 sports for men and women, which compete in the South Coast Conference. The Cerritos College "Falcons" athletic teams include:

Men's Sports:

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cross County
• Football
• Soccer
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Water Polo
• Wrestling

Women's Sports:

• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball
• Water Polo

Community Life

The district communities served by Cerritos College include the cities of:

Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, La Mirada, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, and South Gate, among others.

Cerritos offers community education, transfer programs and alumni connections to community members, as well as corporate partnerships.

Students Enrolled in the Auto Body Program

Get more details below regarding enrollment, academics, and school demographics. Cerritos College has offered the following academic levels for students:

• Less Than One Year Certificate
• Less Than Two-Year Award
• Associate's Degree

Students by Academic Level (2019)

Students by Gender (2019)

Students by Race (2019)

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2020: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.

Career Options for Graduates

Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage

Description

Appraise automobile or other vehicle damage to determine repair costs for insurance claim settlement. Prepare insurance forms to indicate repair cost or cost estimates and recommendations. May seek agreement with automotive repair shop on repair costs.

Automotive Body and Related Repairers

Description

Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.

Career Outlook & Projections ()

According to the BLS, automotive body and related repairers employment is expected to grow at a rate of 9.2% from 2014 to 2024

Salary & Wages

• Salinas, CA
  • Total Employment: 80
  • Average Hourly Rate: $23.02
  • Average Annual Salary: $47880

Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers

Description

Replace or repair broken windshields and window glass in motor vehicles.

Career Outlook & Projections ()

According to the BLS, automotive glass installers and repairers employment is expected to grow at a rate of 7.8% from 2014 to 2024

Painters, Transportation Equipment

Description

Operate or tend painting machines to paint surfaces of transportation equipment, such as automobiles, buses, trucks, trains, boats, and airplanes. Includes painters in auto body repair facilities.

Career Outlook & Projections ()

According to the BLS, painters, transportation equipment employment is expected to grow at a rate of 5.9% from 2014 to 2024

Salary & Wages

• Salinas, CA
  • Total Employment: 40
  • Average Hourly Rate: $20.40
  • Average Annual Salary: $42430

Source: Job descriptions, estimated salary and wages, and projected job growth are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).