High schools that participate in the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence's Automotive Youth Education Service (AYES) are thought to have some advantage when applying for mechanical trade schools. Some employers may accept solidly performing graduates of an AYES program on an entry level basis and offer concurrent employment and hands-on training.
Other mechanical training programs can be a component or concentration of a bachelor's or master's program and some offer graduate level degrees at two-year or four-year universities. Otherwise, students can participate in classroom level or online trade schools that award a certificate after completing a program lasting from six months to a year, depending on how frequently class is scheduled.
The main field of academic coursework students take at mechanical trade schools, regardless of their concentration, is in math, physics and principles of engineering. In more applied subject areas, schools focus on a comprehensive overview of how to care for the vehicle with a focus on new technologies.
Auto mechanics go to trade schools to learn to work on cars. Graduates of auto mechanic trade schools can work for repair shops, dealerships and government projects for an annual salary that averages $33,800. Schools include Lincoln Technical Institute, WyoTech, Westwood College, The Porter and Chester Institute, New York Automotive, South Texas Vocational Technical Institute and the Automotive Training Center. Diesel mechanic trade schools train students to specialize in the more complex diesel engines and may require passing a national certification. Graduates can earn an annual average of $37,000 by completing programs, including those offered at Vatterott College, Arizona Automotive Institute, Nashville Auto-Diesel College and Penn Foster Schools.
Aircraft or aviation mechanic trade schools can be the first step to landing mechanic work at airports and regional carriers. Aviation mechanics ensure that aircraft are safe for flight and earn an average salary of $47,700 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some well-known aviation mechanic trade schools include Redstone College, Crimson Technical College, the Michigan Institute of Aviation and Technology, Southern Skies Aviation, the New England Institute of Technology and Herzing University.
Motorcycle mechanical trade schools teach students to fix a variety of bikes and many of them choose to specialize in a particular make or model. The salary of these graduates varies by geographic location but can be around $30,000 a year. Some schools with motorcycle programs include ATI Career Training Center, Ashworth College and ATI Career Training Center.