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Nathan Hale students win regional auto technician competition; teachers say CTE builds workplace skills
Summary
Two Nathan Hale High School students placed at a regional automotive skills competition. District CTE staff told the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board the program emphasizes active engagement and connects classroom learning to job opportunities.
Two juniors from Nathan Hale High School told the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board on March 17 that hands-on CTE coursework and a regional competition helped them win technician awards and draw job interest from local dealers.
Mister Hart, Nathan Hale's career and technical education teacher, told the board the program emphasizes “active engagement” — interactive, student-centered work that connects academic learning to career-ready assessments. He said students prepare with targeted coursework, practice assessments and online tools, then apply those skills in competitions that mirror real dealership tasks.
Hart said students worked on tasks ranging from single-cylinder engine reassembly to electrical diagnosis and precision measurement. He described a competitive station where students used manufacturer specifications and precise measuring tools to determine whether parts were “in spec,” then wrote up findings as they would on a dealership work order.
Student Jackson (Nathan Hale High School junior) said the pair earned the two highest scores on a 55-question light maintenance and repair exam that qualified them to compete. “My goal would be to work on air tracks and jet engines, but currently I just got a job at Gordon Boucher Lincoln,” Jackson said, adding he had interviewed that day.
Fellow student Alex described intensive hands-on preparation: twice-weekly practice over roughly 10 weeks, skill stations on engine mechanics and electrical differentials, and time-pressured tasks with 10–15 minute limits per station. “It was super intense,” Alex said of the measurement and engine tasks.
Hart and the students said the competition produced tangible rewards: scholarships, a professional toolbox prize and direct recruiter interest. Hart said regional managers and dealerships who sponsor the contest contacted students with job or schooling opportunities, and the competition helped many students secure interviews.
Board members asked whether the district could expand earlier exposure to CTE skills; students and staff suggested offering small-engine or introductory auto classes at middle-school levels to broaden the pipeline into high school CTE pathways.
The presentation closed with thanks from board leadership and an invitation for the public to view student work and supports across the district.
