A new automotive service option has arrived in Houston's Fifth Ward, and it is staffed entirely by high school students. The Barbara Jordan Career Center, part of the Houston Independent School District (ISD), has opened a public-facing auto shop where students in the automotive engineering pathway perform vehicle maintenance for paying customers.
Services include oil changes, tire rotations, and multi-point inspections. The shop operates every Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Under the arrangement, customers provide all required parts and fluids and pay for student labor, according to the career center's social media announcement of the opening.
"Starting every Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, trained automotive pathway students will perform vehicle maintenance services for the public, including oil changes, tire rotations, and multi-point inspections. Customers provide all required parts and fluids and pay for student labor," the career center wrote in a social media post announcing the opening.
Appointments can be made through the career center. While requiring customers to bring their own parts and fluids may be less convenient than a conventional commercial garage, the trade-off is direct support for students preparing to enter the workforce.
The Barbara Jordan Career Center serves 12 school campuses and more than 1,200 students, and it focuses on connecting students in high-demand professions and trades with well-paying, hands-on jobs and internships in northeast Houston. The center's automotive education program has long sought additional ways for students to develop both soft skills and technical know-how, with the goal of making graduates more attractive to employers.
The push for expanded opportunities follows a finding by a local education group that fewer than 20% of Houston ISD graduates were earning a living wage six years after graduating, the Houston Chronicle reported. The career center had been working toward launching the auto shop since the summer.
The district's technical education offerings extend beyond automotive work. Its programs also cover the trades, culinary arts and industries, engineering and robotics, and human services.
For Fifth Ward residents, the shop offers a nearby service option on Fridays while giving students real-world experience with paying customers. Each appointment contributes to the training of the next generation of auto mechanics in Houston.