Rockdale Career Academy offers automotive training and pathway to Rivian internships

Mark Whitaker has a passion for cars. "It's a life skill. I'm pretty sure the majority of them will in some way end up operating or owning a vehicle," Whitaker said. Whitaker teaches automotive technology at Rockdale Career Academy. It's a three-year program designed to give students a pathway into the automotive repair industry. "Everything at Rockdale Career Academy is geared towards a career," Whitaker said. Once students finish the program, they leave with an Automotive Service Excellence certification. Whitaker said they should be able to rotate and change tires, perform maintenance and diagnose basic electrical problems. "Mr. Whitaker is a very good teacher and a very good instructor," said Caiden Godfrey, a sophomore in his first year of the program. "I would like to be a master mechanic," Godfrey said. Some students participate in an electric vehicle and hybrid dual enrollment program. "They can go straight to Georgia Piedmont Technical College, already having that college credit," Whitaker said. Whitaker helped launch the program this year. Rockdale Career Academy partnered with Rivian, which offers a career pipeline for graduates. "It is a 24-week program. We basically bring a foundation for future technicians," said Jimmy Cruz, a Rivian technical trade instructor. He said the internship program pays $24 an hour. Angel Merino, a Rockdale Career Academy student, likes the Rivian partnership because he says the traditional college route isn't for him. "I don't really like school that much. I really want to just go into the career force. I'm taking the dual enrollment class for Rivian to try to become a Rivian employee," Merino said. Students in Whitaker's class are gaining life skills while preparing to enter the workforce. In: Georgia Education Featured Local Savings