Dealer Revs Up School Mechanics Program With Gift of 2 Cars

Hoping to encourage more teenagers to become automotive technicians, an area car dealership has donated two 1997 Jettas to Venice High School.

“We were having a real difficult time finding new technicians,” said Dennis Erickson, the service manager at Volkswagen Santa Monica Corp.

“The grease monkey image hasn’t changed, but the job has,” said Erickson, who prefers the term “automotive technician” over “mechanic.” “They need more technical knowledge today but they don’t get any credit.”

The dealership worked closely with the school to reopen an automotive course that had been closed for five years. That goal was near to the heart of Erickson, a 1965 alumni of Venice High School, and his boss Rick Cuesta, a 1978 graduate.

“It was an elective that was going by the wayside,” said principal Bud Jacobs. “[Erickson] was able to keep the program alive by donations.”

In 1993, the Volkswagen dealership began donating tools, alignment machines and cars to the program, and other area car dealers gave money for textbooks.