Central Lakes College Automotive Technology

05/07/2026

05/07/2026

Our automotive class went to the Staples campus to learn about the differences between diesel engines and gas engines. Paul Zimmerman, master teacher at Staples diesel and heavy Equipment technology program, helped our students truly understand things. 

03/19/2026

What a great industry partner to have! Meg Corp came today to spend time with our Automotive and Marine Powersports students discussing ethanol blended fuels and issues.

Central Lakes College

03/15/2026

Thank you Mills Automotive Group the new graphics wrap was a big hit!

03/09/2026

08/21/2025

All student tool boxes and uniforms are here! Class starts Monday!

08/21/2025

At CLC, college isn’t something you do on your own. Every step of the way, you’ve got this whole team behind you — guiding, encouraging, and celebrating your wins. You’ve got this, and we’ve got you.

Fall semester begins Monday. It's not too late to start your educational journey this fall! ❤💙

08/21/2025

This week we spent a few days with different groups of educators and employers working on building our next generation Automotive Technology program.

This is going to be a major change to the program and we are excited to have our industry partners leading the curriculum design.

The Automotive advisory committee has 40 members, but a big thanks to our new curriculum task force for spending extra hours after work to do this

Thank you to Tim Sterns Mills Ford, Lincoln of Brainerd / Baxter, Glen Ertl Tanner Motors Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Patrick Metzler and Dalton Paradigm Automotive, Carl Borleis Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence, Dean Joslin ASE Certifications, and Kevin Lomax Central Lakes College.

07/15/2025

We were honored to welcome Minnesota State Chancellor Scott Olson to our Brainerd Nitro-X Camp at Central Lakes College's Heavy Equipment campus in Staples, MN.

Chancellor Olson had the chance to see firsthand how Nitro-X introduces middle school students to high-demand careers through hands-on learning and real-world exploration.

Thank you, Chancellor Olson and Central Lakes College President Dr. Hara Charlier, for taking the time to see the power of early career exposure in action!