TAMPA, Fla. — Savannah Hall is a student at Brewster Technical College’s diesel program.
“I wanted to take after my dad. He worked in trade, and this was just something I wanted to do,” said Hall.
The program is taught by the school’s teacher of the year, Sean Farmer.
Farmer is a graduate of a trade school, worked for Ford, then ran his own shop. Now, he takes pride in his teaching and students.
“I have three out now that are only minimal steps away from being master techs, and that was within two years,” said Farmer.
Programs like these are only a year long, and tuition costs are less than $5,000. Once the program is completed, you’d be entering an industry that is in desperate need of help.
“I have multiple people calling me daily. I need technicians, I need technicians,” explained Farmer.
Brewster boasts 100% job placement in its diesel program after just the first 180 hours of the course.
“There’s nothing wrong with a four-year degree and all that, but like you said, you’ll be saddled with large amounts of debt. When you come out of here, I have students who are making more than people coming out of four-year degrees the first week they have graduated here,” said Farmer.
And talking specifically about diesel technicians, the money is very good.
“Starting out as a base tech, $25 to $30 an hour. Right now, diesel techs are up to $50 to $55 flat rate an hour. If you’re turning 80 hours a week at $50 an hour, you can do the math,” explained Farmer.
It’s potentially a six-figure salary, which is an attainable goal for everyone in the course.
And seeing his students succeed is all that matters to Farmer.
“He’s a great teacher. He’s caring, kind to all of us, kind of like a father figure to us,” said Hall.
These trade programs follow the standard K-12 school year. In addition to tuition costs, students need to buy textbooks, and for some programs, they need tools. But they can get discounts through the school.
You can learn more about Brewster Technical College here.
