Jump start your automotive career at one of the top Automotive Technician training programs in Minnesota. With more than 276,000,000 light-duty cars and trucks on the road in the United States alone, there will always be jobs for qualified technicians.

Anoka Technical College’s Automotive Technician program prepares graduates for work through extensive hands-on education on state-of-the-art equipment.

Handsoneducation Blk

Hands-on Education
75% of your time in the program is spent in the lab

Nationallyaccredited Blk

Nationally Accredited by ASE

Advancement Blk

High-Demand Career
12,700+ new jobs needed to meet demand between 2020-2030 

Potential Jobs:

  • Automotive Service Technician
  • Mechanic
  • Automotive Maintenance Technician

Salary Information:
Median Wage: $24.67 per hour
Top Earners: $38.69 per hour

Information provided is for Minnesota. See current data at mn.gov/deed.

Profile 21C16AT 192X192

“Anoka Tech has for sure given me confidence in my ability to do more in my current job [flat-rate mechanic]. If you are interested in vehicles and working on cars and you want to eventually work in performance or general repair, you will learn your basics here and you will grow on that. Be humble and you will learn a lot here.”

Alex Vang '22
Automotive Technician

About the Program

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The Anoka Technical College Automotive program is nationally accredited by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation through 4/1/2025.

ASE Education Foundation
101 Blue Seal Drive, S.E. Suite 101
Leesburg, VA 20175
www.aseeducation.org

Anoka Tech's state-of-the art Automotive Lab is equipped with current equipment, technology and tools. 

Take a virtual tour and review the lists below to get an idea of what it's like to be an Automotive Technician student at Anoka Tech.

Virtual Tour

Technology

Students have access to cutting-edge technology including:

  • Analytical or scientific software: updateable software used in all of the scan tools and electronic four wheel alignment equipment 
  • Electronic vehicle service information retrieval: AllData; Mitchell OnDemand 5; General Motors Electronic Service Information (ESI)
  • Vehicle service and repair estimating software: Mitchell OnDemand 5

Tools

  • Electrical and electronic diagnostic equipment: Digital Multi-Meters (DMM’s); General Motors’ Tech 1 and Tech 2 scan tools; Ford’s Next Generation Scan tool (NGS); Chrysler’s DRB-III scan tool; SPX/OTC
  • Genisys scan tools; digital storage and live oscilloscopes; battery “capacitance testers”; battery, starter, and charging system testers; chassis ear electronic listening device; wheel balancing and four wheel alignment equipment; air conditioning refrigerant recovery; recycling and recharging stations
  • Pressure indicators: fuel pressure testers; air conditioning manifold pressure gauges;intake manifold vacuum gauges; oil pressure gauges; tire pressure gauges
  • Bearing pullers and presses: ball joint separators; bearing pullers; gear puller tools; slide hammers
  • Specialty wrenches: alignment wrenches; chain wrenches; locking wrenches; lug wrenches
  • Trim or molding tools: carbon scrapers; gasket scrapers; scrapers
  • Precision measuring tools: feeler gauges; inside and outside micrometers; vernier calipers; depth gauges; small bore gauges; cylinder taper gauges; torque wrenches

Automotive Students are required to provide their own professional quality set of hand tools and have them available for lab use each day that they are at school.

These tools will eventually be required on the job as an automotive technician.

Tool List

Advanced Automotive Electronic Diagnostic Specialist

The Electronic Diagnostic Specialist program is intended to provide the successful Automotive Technician program graduate with additional knowledge and skills needed to accurately and cost effectively diagnose and repair the complex vehicle systems of today and tomorrow.

Faculty

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Larry Curtis
larry.curtis@anokatech.edu
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David Holmquist
DHolmquist@anokatech.edu
photo placeholder
Dave McFarland
DMcFarland@anokatech.edu
photo placeholder
Jim Talmadge
james.talmadge@anokatech.edu

Enrollment Services
EnrollmentServices@anokatech.edu
763-576-7710

Current Students

register for classes

Students must earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA or higher to be eligible for graduation from this program.

Apply to Graduate

Automotive Students are required to provide their own professional quality set of hand tools and have them available for lab use each day that they are at school.

These tools will eventually be required on the job as an automotive technician.

Tool List

The Anoka Technical College Automotive Technician diploma is a 60-credit program that prepares graduates for an entry-level career in the automotive service industry. Most entry-level automotive technicians start as tire or lube technicians. Within a few months they will be performing many routine service tasks and perform simple repairs. It usually takes two to five years of on-the-job training to become a journey-level technician. This means that the technician is skilled enough to perform difficult repairs. However, graduates of a college-level training program are often able to advance to that level in a shorter period of time.

Handsoneducation Blk

Hands-on Education
75% of your time in the program is spent in the lab

Nationallyaccredited Blk

Nationally Accredited by ASE

Advancement Blk

High-Demand Career
12,700+ new jobs needed to meet demand between 2020-2030 

Potential Jobs:

  • Automotive Service Technician
  • Mechanic
  • Automotive Maintenance Technician

Salary Information:
Median Wage: $24.67 per hour
Top Earners: $38.69 per hour

Information provided is for Minnesota. See current data at mn.gov/deed.

The Anoka Technical College Automotive program is nationally accredited by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation through 4/1/2025.

ASE Education Foundation
101 Blue Seal Drive, S.E. Suite 101
Leesburg, VA 20175
www.aseeducation.org

Anoka Tech's state-of-the art Automotive Lab is equipped with current equipment, technology and tools. 

Take a virtual tour and review the lists below to get an idea of what it's like to be an Automotive Technician student at Anoka Tech.

VIRTUAL TOUR

Tools

Check out the tools students learn to use:

Electrical and electronic diagnostic equipment: Digital Multi-Meters (DMM’s); General Motors’ Tech 1 and Tech 2 scan tools; Ford’s Next Generation Scan tool (NGS); Chrysler’s DRB-III scan tool; SPX/OTC

Genisys scan tools; digital storage and live oscilloscopes; battery “capacitance testers”; battery, starter, and charging system testers; chassis ear electronic listening device; wheel balancing and four wheel alignment equipment; air conditioning refrigerant recovery; recycling and recharging stations

Pressure indicators: fuel pressure testers; air conditioning manifold pressure gauges;intake manifold vacuum gauges; oil pressure gauges; tire pressure gauges

Bearing pullers and presses: ball joint separators; bearing pullers; gear puller tools; slide hammers

Specialty wrenches: alignment wrenches; chain wrenches; locking wrenches; lug wrenches

Trim or molding tools: carbon scrapers; gasket scrapers; scrapers

Precision measuring tools: feeler gauges; inside and outside micrometers; vernier calipers; depth gauges; small bore gauges; cylinder taper gauges; torque wrenches

Automotive Students are required to provide their own professional quality set of hand tools and have them available for lab use each day that they are at school.

These tools will eventually be required on the job as an automotive technician.

Tool List

Faculty

photo placeholder
Larry Curtis
larry.curtis@anokatech.edu
photo placeholder
David Holmquist
DHolmquist@anokatech.edu
photo placeholder
Dave McFarland
DMcFarland@anokatech.edu
photo placeholder
Jim Talmadge
james.talmadge@anokatech.edu

Enrollment Services
EnrollmentServices@anokatech.edu
763-576-7710

Start Dates:

Fall Semester: August

Upcoming Events:

Dec
17
Virtual Information Session
  10 AM to 11 AM
  Zoom
RSVP
Jan
15

Important Dates:

Contact

David Holmquist
DHolmquist@anokatech.edu

Dave Mcfarland
DMcFarland@anokatech.edu

Enrollment Services
EnrollmentServices@anokatech.edu
763-576-7710

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