News Archives: Dual Credit Program: Another Pathway to Success
Friday, March 9th, 2018
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Before Josh Engel even left high school he was able to experience College and make progress towards his goal to become a shop teacher.
Josh Engel first heard about GPRC’s Harley-Davidson®; technician program when he was working as a detailer at Mountainview Harley-Davidson® in Chilliwack, B.C. Being only 15, Engel didn’t think too much of it at the time, believing he had three years before he could enroll in the program. It would have stayed that way too, if not for his aunt and uncle taking him in.
While Engel was living with his aunt and uncle in Fox Creek, Northern Gateway Public Schools (NGPS) put on a special learning week dedicated to further education.
“It is really a valuable experience for students,” said NGPS Communications Officer Lisa Bakos. “It’s excellent to see a student’s face light up when they find something they’re passionate about and good at.”
These opportunities allow students to pursue careers or vocations that interest them before leaving high school. Since their tuition and accommodation costs are covered, students are able to discover if a program is really what they want to pursue without the risks. If it is, they have a jumpstart on the training or knowledge needed to continue their education or start their career.
Moving to Fairview for a semester, Engel was able to focus his full attention on the Harley-Davidson® 15-week certificate program and with his previous knowledge of Harleys, he was able to do really well, ultimately getting first-class standing.
“The program definitely offered a great quality education, great instructors and classmates as well,” said Engel. “It’s given me better knowledge of the product, but I think equally important, it gave me great friends with a common interest. I’ll have these friends for the rest of my life.”
“The students get to do a hands-on style course about something they’re interested in,” said Carl Ball, an instructor in the Harley-Davidson® program. “They also get the whole College experience. They’re here with a group of like-minded individuals—they’re also in the same space in the evenings and weekends. It intensifies their learning while they’re here.”
One of Engel’s instructors, Bill Antonello, passed away a month into the course. “He was a great man and he left an impact on us that will last a lifetime,” said Engel. “We used to sit outside at the picnic table at break. We called the table, Bill’s extracurricular classroom. That man was a sea of knowledge with an amazing passion for Harley-Davidson®.”
Out of respect Engel had a patch made in memory of Antonello. The rest of his classmates followed suit and they all wear them proudly, happy they had the chance to meet Antonello.
Engel recommends the program to anyone with similar passions, especially if they have never experienced a college-like situation. “I personally was able to relate to the people I was at the College with ten times better than those in my own age group,” said Engel. “It’s a great path and I would love to do it again.”
The program has kick-started Engel’s career path, but he still has more work ahead of him. His plans include becoming a journeyman mechanic and then going for his degree in education. Inspired by the influence of his own shop teacher, Mr. Thesen, Engel wants to share his knowledge and encourage others to follow what they love.
