ASE launching 2 new certifications: ADAS and high voltage

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is almost ready to release its new ADAS certification, with the goal of launching it no later than mid-summer.

“We’re excited to be able to have a credential for that very important sector,” said Trish Serratore, senior vice president of communications for ASE. “There are big things going on around that and we want to be sure we are helping our technicians showcase their abilities and to support them, God forbid, there’s an issue because there is so much liability around that.”

The advanced-level certification will cover all the elements of diagnostics and calibration, and will allow the shop/technician to be comfortable showcasing their ADAS knowledge. Additionally, if a technician/shop should be involved in a legal issue, ASE’s rigorous testing and certification process has held up in court in terms of the knowledge and skill of the individual who is certified, said Serratore.

The organization is also working on a high-voltage safety certification. This refers to not just electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, but also high-voltage A/C, lighting systems, and ignitions.

High voltage is an important safety concern for the industry and the goal of this ASE certification is for both technicians who are working on those vehicles as well as shop personnel who are around those vehicles to make sure there’s no incidents or issues and that everyone knows the correct protocols for managing those vehicles, Serratore said.

As it stands right now, it’s mostly the more experienced technicians and the dealers’ technicians handling repairs of those vehicles, but ASE felt like there was a baseline of safety training that applies to everybody.

“Even the technician who’s in the fast lube lane doing routine maintenance on an EV — or hybrid or any vehicle with HV systems — they all need to be aware of ‘There’s an orange wire here, what does that mean? What should I be aware of,” said Mike Coley, ASE Education Foundation president. “That’s what we’re looking for — that common ground that we can share, and folks can get a credential to show they know enough to be safe around high voltage systems.”

There is no timeline yet for when this certification will be available. ASE will also be working with the industry to develop training around these high-voltage systems.

“It’s coming and it’s a growing concern,” Coley added.

Celebrating 50 years

This year marks the 50th anniversary of ASE. The organization has certified 1 million people since it started in 1972. To celebrate, ASE is turning its focus on celebrating the certified technicians themselves, rather than just the organization. Last year, it proclaimed June as Automotive Service Professionals month, and recently it has created the “ASE Service Professional Spotlight” that shares the stories of its certified technician on the ASE website and social media.

“They are working in the trenches every day to keep cars and trucks running safely, so we want to make sure to celebrate them,” said Serratore. “Essential personnel without a doubt.”

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