Dakota County Technical College Automotive Technology Program

Collaboration grants college credit while students meet high school requirements.

Burnsville High School is partnering with Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) to provide automotive classes for their students.

The collaboration started Spring 2026 when Burnsville High School reached out after having difficulty replacing their retired auto teacher. DCTC's distinguished Automotive Service Technology instructor and Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence 2026 Hall of Famer, Jeff Copeland, stepped in.

“The fun is working with students who’ve never worked with cars,” Jeff said. “It gives them the experience of gaining confidence so they can fix stuff.”

Jeff is teaching 53 students across three courses this spring. The students are fulfilling high school requirements while earning credit for special topics with the college. If the students enroll at DCTC, the credits will be counted as electives.

Anthony Rivera-Wagener is a senior in Jeff’s class. “Jeff is a great teacher,” Anthony said. “Anytime we are working on our own cars, he shows us what to get done and how to fix it.”

Senior Michael Tovar agrees. “It’s pretty fun. It’s interesting to learn how things work.”

Interest in the program has exploded. There are about 130 students signed up to take classes next year at Burnsville High School, but there will be a different DCTC instructor teaching.

Jeff is taking a sabbatical to work on developing high school classes that can offer specific college credit and lead directly into various transportation programs at the college. He also hopes to develop curriculum that will help prepare students for any trade they may consider.

Read the full story on DCTC News: https://bit.ly/3RGZZoh

Learn more about DCTC’s transportation programs: https://bit.ly/3AkNFyk

Let’s talk trainers. Here at DCTC we have started acquiring a number of new training tools. These trainers allow for instructors to teach an isolated system, to better engage students during lecture and lab time. Recently we have added a brakes and ABS trainer, a differential trainer, a clutch trainer, and a driveshaft angle trainer. The last trainer we have is a full engine and transmission trainer with A/C system. These trainers allow us to set up faults for students to diagnose, or we can leave the system to operate under normal conditions, for students to better understand what those conditions look like. Our instructional staff have taken it upon themselves to apply for grants in order to purchase new equipment such as these.

We have another Instructor Spotlight: Everyone, please welcome Llewellyn “Lew” Olivier, the newest instructor in our General Automotive Program here at DCTC! Lew brings over 20 years of industry experience, ranging from independent repair shops to a Volkswagen dealership. He is a graduate of Century College’s Automotive Program and is both ASE Certified and a Volkswagen Master Technician. Lew joined our campus this spring after serving as Director of Outreach at the Minnesota Transportation Center of Excellence and is excited to bring his years of hands‑on experience and industry knowledge to our students.

Today is EV/hybrid day at DCTC, we would like to thank all of our partners for coming down and showing our students another part of our industry. All of the vehicles pictured are either fully electric or hybrid gas/electric.

We had some guests stop by to show their cars off, and have some great conversations with our students today. Thank you Southern Cruzers car club!

Instructor spotlight: Ashley Winzig
Everyone meet our newest Instructor, Ashley. She comes to us from industry having 15 years of experience working on mostly Ford and Chrysler vehicles. She attended the Ford Asset training program at Hennepin Technical College. Ashley is teaching our fourth semester students in our driveability section. They focus on gas engine performance, diesel, hybrid, and EV training. We are excited to have Ashley on our team here at Dakota County Technical College.

Classes are off to a great start here at DCTC. Our incoming Fall class is full. Which is great news for our program and industry. We do however have space available in our Spring start this coming January.

Now is a great time to stop in at DCTC and take a tour. Students interested in our program still have an opportunity to get started this Fall. Spots are filling quickly, so make the time to take advantage of one of our Tuesday campus visits. We would love to talk about the opportunities we have to offer at Dakota County Technical College.

Mark your calendars, Thursday April 10th we are hosting an automotive career fair during the DCTC open house. If you or someone you know are interested in our automotive program, this is an opportunity to secure that required internship to enter our program. We can’t wait to meet you!

We are happy to announce our program has passed our ASE Education Foundation accreditation.

The purpose of having ASE Education Foundation program accreditation is to ensure that automotive training programs meet industry-recognized standards of excellence. This accreditation provides several benefits:
1. Industry Alignment: The accreditation ensures that the curriculum, tools, and equipment align with current industry practices and standards. This helps students gain the skills and knowledge that employers seek.
2. Program Quality Assurance: Accreditation signifies that the program meets rigorous quality standards in instruction, facilities, and student outcomes. It provides a benchmark for continuous improvement.
3. Student Preparation: Accredited programs prepare students for entry-level positions in the automotive industry by emphasizing real-world skills, safety, and professionalism.
4. Employability: Graduates of accredited programs are often more attractive to employers because they are trained to ASE standards and better prepared for ASE certification tests.
5. Networking and Resources: Accredited programs gain access to resources, professional development, and networking opportunities through the ASE Education Foundation, benefiting both instructors and students.
6. Community Confidence: Accreditation builds trust and confidence among students, parents, and local employers that the program produces high-quality automotive technicians.
7. Pathway to Certification: Since the ASE Education Foundation is associated with ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence), it helps pave the way for students to achieve ASE certifications, which are widely recognized as a mark of professional competency in the industry.