Technical Reading
GUIDELINES
Automotive Service Technician
NOC 7321Page 118 Automotive Service Technician
NOC 7321Learners will locate, recall, understand and interpret
information in written textIntroduction
Success in technical training and in the trade requires that apprentices understand,
connect with and recall important information. Knowing the language of the trade
and developing strategies to quickly locate specific information in reading materials
such as regulations, manuals and texts not only increases reader comprehension
but also productivity on the job.
Just as it is important to think about reading habits, it is important for apprentices
to think about and develop strategies for exam preparation. Whether writing tests
that are required during technical training or getting ready to write the Red Seal
certification exam, adequate test preparation is essential. As multiple choice testing
is the most common form of assessment for certification, knowing how multiple
choice questions are constructed and applying strategies for responding can
significantly improve test scores.
Technical Reading in the Automotive Service Technician Trade
Automotive Service Technicians use technical reading on a daily basis to complete
job tasks. The complexity of these reading tasks, according to Human Resources
and Skills Development Canada’s Essential Skills Profile (http://srv108.services.gc.ca/),
ranges from reading short texts to locate a single piece of information (i.e., reading
short descriptors of parts) to choosing and integrating information from various
sources or from several parts of a single text (i.e., reading repair manuals to
diagnose and repair mechanical faults).
As part of their daily routine, Automotive Service Technicians read and interpret
comments from customers and co-workers to understand problems and required
work to be scheduled. They access data for recalls, service history, and recurring
faults, and interpret manufacturer’s specifications and maintenance schedules.
As is the case in most industries, safety is of utmost importance. Automotive
Service Technicians read information to ensure safe work environments, and they
read industry and government regulations to ensure vehicle safety. They must
understand the factors that contribute to accidents, and interpret and apply the
Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Automotive Service Technicians need to update and learn continuously. To keep
current, they read articles about service and repair innovations, and manufacturers’
information on vehicles and vehicle parts. They also read information on
environment and industry regulations about emission controls and disposal of
recyclable material. In many cases, the text is complex, lengthy and technical.