Automotive Service Technician program gives grad a full throttle future
Ethan Guillemard has been working with cars since he was a kid. What started with Hot Wheels turned into a hands-on career in automotive service. Today, he leads the maintenance department at OSS Motorsports in Winnipeg, turning a lifelong interest into a thriving career.
But passion is just the fuel for a career. When he started out, Ethan had been working in a Canadian Tire automotive shop but was struggling to take the next step. He needed an engine to drive him forward. That came in the form of the Automotive Service Technician program at MITT, which got him his Level 1 Apprenticeship.
The lessons he learned quickly transferred to his work at Canadian Tire too, which he kept at while studying.
“I was able to apply everything we were doing in class at work. I would learn how to do maintenance on brakes in class and then would get a brake job at work.”
The shift from school to career was seamless too, as he immediately moved on to Level 2 of his apprenticeship.
“MITT’s automotive program is great for people having a hard time getting their foot in the door. It reassured me, built my confidence, and pushed me to take risks and not be afraid if something doesn’t work out. I feel like the world’s an open book, and MITT planted the seeds for that.”
Good thing, because the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ethan’s apprenticeship plans like a pothole on Route 90. But that wasn’t about to stop him.
He transitioned to working for a transport company and Manitoba airline Calm Air. In those roles, he fixed larger trucks and trailers and serviced ground equipment – quite different from the cars he was accustomed to.
“There’s not a lot of YouTube content on those trucks,” he joked. “It was an eye-opening experience, and I really had to piece a lot together.”
Ethan just couldn’t stay away from the cars he loves so much, though. He returned to automotive work at several maintenance garages in and around Winnipeg while he completed his automotive Red Seal before landing his current role at OSS Motorsports in 2024.
Now he gets to work on everything from stylish sports cars to standard sedans and is still always learning thanks to changes in automotive technology coming faster than the Ferraris and BMWs that pull into the shop.
“We’re seeing complex modules and controlling systems that used to be hydraulically or mechanically operated. It makes diagnosis a lot more complicated than it used to be.”
But with the confidence and relationships that he built at MITT, Ethan feels prepared for any challenge.
“I’ve made sure to keep in touch with old classmates and instructors from MITT. I’m never at a dead end with a problem because I’ve got people who are supportive of me, and I can support them too.”
A far superior educational alternative to YouTube, if we do say so ourselves.