Kenosha-based tool and equipment manufacturer Snap-On Inc. has formed partnerships with more than 70 technical schools across the U.S. to offer Snap-On Certifications in several disciplines.
The certifications, which the company first began offering locally in 2007, allow students to expand their technical skills while increasing their employability.
The courses teach instructors and students about proper tool use, theory and application within their existing coursework, according to Frederick Brookhouse, senior business and education partnership manager at Snap-On.
“It’s actually a training partnership with educational institutions,” Brookhouse said. “This is really a model of how industry and education can partner to develop and deliver the skills for educational institutions for what Snap-On is looking for.”
Snap-On established the certifications to create a nationally standardized system of training for using its tools, he said.
“There was no real standard around the usage of this high-tech equipment that Snap-On manufactures,” Brookhouse said. “We felt it was necessary to establish a standard for what was acceptable for us for a user to achieve.”
The certifications cover diagnostic tools, electrical measurement tools, torque theory and application and wheel service.
For example, the tool used to analyze the onboard computers in the modern car is a diagnostic scanner. Technicians must learn to be power users of the devices to stay current with advances.
“We set the standard for what our expectation is for the skillsets of the users, instructors and students going through these programs, and we actually test them online,” Brookhouse said.
