As advanced vehicle technologies continue to reshape repair procedures and liability considerations, a new certification pilot aims to change how technician competency is measured — moving beyond written exams to hands-on validation.
Collin College is one of six institutions in the nation selected to participate in a pilot accreditation program led by the Advanced Vehicle Technology Education and Credentialing Coalition (AVTECC). The initiative integrates performance-based, industry-recognized skills assessments into Collin College’s Automotive Technology curriculum, with emphasis on electric vehicles (EVs), advanced diagnostics, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
AVTECC’s model differs from traditional certifications by requiring technicians to demonstrate competency through hands-on assessment rather than relying primarily on cognitive or multiple-choice testing.
Why Community Colleges Were Selected
David Macholz, representing AVTECC, outlines the coalition’s performance-based certification model designed to ensure accuracy and legal defensibility in advanced vehicle repairs.According to David Macholz of AVTECC, community colleges were chosen as the pilot environment because they represent the entry point for most technicians entering the workforce.
“Community colleges are really the first place where most technicians entering the field receive a formalized education,” Macholz said. “We’re piloting this with instructors so they can return to their institutions and support certification delivery in a way that maintains appropriate separation between instruction and assessment.”
Rather than certifying individual students directly during the pilot phase, AVTECC is certifying instructors first. Those instructors can deliver instruction and proctor assessments for students outside their own classes, allowing assessments to be administered at scale while preserving assessment integrity within their programs.
“The goal is to establish a performance-based credential that requires a demonstration of skill, particularly in safety-critical areas like ADAS and EV,” Macholz said.
Performance-Based vs. Cognitive Testing
AVTECC’s certification framework is aligned with ISO standards and designed to provide legal defensibility, Macholz said. The key differentiator is accuracy.
“In areas like ADAS and EV, you have to be 100 percent accurate,” he said. “You can’t pass with a 70 or 80 percent score. You must demonstrate that you can perform the work correctly.”
That distinction is becoming increasingly relevant as improper ADAS calibrations and EV procedures draw regulatory and legal scrutiny.
“This takes certification to another level,” Macholz said. “It protects the technician and the driver.”
Technicians who complete the assessment receive a blockchain-verifiable digital credential, which can be shared electronically or presented to employers as evidence of hands-on competency.
Impact on Collin College Programs
At Collin College, participation begins with faculty. As part of the pilot, automotive and collision instructors are completing AVTECC certification at no cost, with the college providing facilities and vehicles for assessments.
Elias Alba, director of Automotive and Collision Technology at Collin College, explains how performance-based assessments reinforce real-world procedures within the college’s automotive programs.“Our instructors are able to go through the certification process themselves,” said Elias Alba, director of Automotive and Collision Technology at Collin College. “That gives them firsthand experience with what’s being evaluated and how.”
Alba said the process reinforces existing knowledge while highlighting procedural details that may be overlooked in day-to-day instruction.
“It reaffirms that they’re doing things correctly and tightens up the process,” he said.
Filling a Gap in Technician Evaluation
Alba emphasized that the certification’s skill-based structure addresses a long-standing gap in automotive and collision education.
“This is not a cognitive certification,” he said. “The technician is observed, timed, asked questions by a proctor, and must physically demonstrate each step of the process.”
Alba said that while some certifications rely heavily on classroom or video-based learning, the AVTECC pilot's approach is different.
“This is a more robust certification because it validates real-world skills,” he said.
What Comes Next
AVTECC launched the pilot with six schools and plans to expand participation during the next academic year. The organization also intends to offer certifications at automotive-related events and eventually use participating colleges as testing sites for working technicians seeking credentials in areas such as ADAS.
For Collin College, the pilot phase is also an evaluation period.
“This is brand new,” Alba said. “We’re gathering feedback from instructors and determining whether this is something that will gain traction.”
While industry adoption may take time, Alba believes the direction is positive.
“Any certification gives students an advantage,” he said. “From an education standpoint, validating real skills is better than no certification at all.”
Leona Scott