By Amelia Zwecher

Connecting the automotive specialty-equipment industry with top talent is the Career Center’s primary focus.

The SEMA Career Center’s primary focus is to help automotive specialty-equipment business owners build relationships with higher-education institutions to help funnel top talent into the industry. Automotive aftermarket employers are encouraged to connect with academic institutions to obtain fresh new talent. This week’s spotlight is on Rio Hondo College, located in Whittier, California.

Rio Hondo College recently launched a Bachelor’s of Science degree program in automotive technology. The program was designed to prepare an individual for a wide variety of technology-based careers within the transportation industry sector. This innovative career designation means that the overall knowledge and skills attained by students within the program center on persistent enhancement in post-production support within today’s high-tech automotive technology environment (after-sales automotive technical service and business management and support).

There are two tracks under this program: “Technical Studies” and “Business & Marketing.”

Courses include:

• The Global Development and Advancement of the Automobile
• Principles of Automotive Service Management
• Digital Marketing for the Automotive Industry
• Analyzing Vehicle Fuels, Lubricants and Combustion

Evening courses are available. To learn more about the program, call 562-908-3460, or email CTEDivision@riohondo.edu. For more information, view the college’s flyer.

For assistance with scheduling recruitment and outreach events at higher education institutions nationally, contact Amelia F. Zwecher, PhD, PHR, SEMA manager of career services, at ameliaz@sema.org.

By Becca Butler

On the SEMA Battle of the Builders TV special that airs this weekend on the Velocity Network, Chip Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans.

Renowned car builder Chip Foose makes a special guest appearance on SEMA Battle of the Builders—a one-hour TV special that airs this Sunday, March 12, on the Velocity Network. The program takes viewers behind the scenes of the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition as industry experts RJ DeVera, Fred Williams and David Freiburger narrow down the more than 250 entries to an elite 10. The top builders then vote among themselves to determine the winner, which is announced in front of thousands at SEMA Ignited.

Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans. Watch their one-of-a-kind builds and find out how the competition culminates this Sunday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. (EDT)/3:00 p.m. (PDT) on the Velocity Network.

For more information on SEMA Battle of the Builders and how you can take part in the competition, visit www.SEMAShow.com/botb.

By Becca Butler

On the SEMA Battle of the Builders TV special that airs this weekend on the Velocity Network, Chip Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans.

Renowned car builder Chip Foose makes a special guest appearance on SEMA Battle of the Builders—a one-hour TV special that airs this Sunday, March 12, on the Velocity Network. The program takes viewers behind the scenes of the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition as industry experts RJ DeVera, Fred Williams and David Freiburger narrow down the more than 250 entries to an elite 10. The top builders then vote among themselves to determine the winner, which is announced in front of thousands at SEMA Ignited.

Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans. Watch their one-of-a-kind builds and find out how the competition culminates this Sunday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. (EDT)/3:00 p.m. (PDT) on the Velocity Network.

For more information on SEMA Battle of the Builders and how you can take part in the competition, visit www.SEMAShow.com/botb.

By Becca Butler

On the SEMA Battle of the Builders TV special that airs this weekend on the Velocity Network, Chip Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans.

Renowned car builder Chip Foose makes a special guest appearance on SEMA Battle of the Builders—a one-hour TV special that airs this Sunday, March 12, on the Velocity Network. The program takes viewers behind the scenes of the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition as industry experts RJ DeVera, Fred Williams and David Freiburger narrow down the more than 250 entries to an elite 10. The top builders then vote among themselves to determine the winner, which is announced in front of thousands at SEMA Ignited.

Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans. Watch their one-of-a-kind builds and find out how the competition culminates this Sunday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. (EDT)/3:00 p.m. (PDT) on the Velocity Network.

For more information on SEMA Battle of the Builders and how you can take part in the competition, visit www.SEMAShow.com/botb.

By Becca Butler

On the SEMA Battle of the Builders TV special that airs this weekend on the Velocity Network, Chip Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans.

Renowned car builder Chip Foose makes a special guest appearance on SEMA Battle of the Builders—a one-hour TV special that airs this Sunday, March 12, on the Velocity Network. The program takes viewers behind the scenes of the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition as industry experts RJ DeVera, Fred Williams and David Freiburger narrow down the more than 250 entries to an elite 10. The top builders then vote among themselves to determine the winner, which is announced in front of thousands at SEMA Ignited.

Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans. Watch their one-of-a-kind builds and find out how the competition culminates this Sunday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. (EDT)/3:00 p.m. (PDT) on the Velocity Network.

For more information on SEMA Battle of the Builders and how you can take part in the competition, visit www.SEMAShow.com/botb.

By Becca Butler

On the SEMA Battle of the Builders TV special that airs this weekend on the Velocity Network, Chip Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans.

Renowned car builder Chip Foose makes a special guest appearance on SEMA Battle of the Builders—a one-hour TV special that airs this Sunday, March 12, on the Velocity Network. The program takes viewers behind the scenes of the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition as industry experts RJ DeVera, Fred Williams and David Freiburger narrow down the more than 250 entries to an elite 10. The top builders then vote among themselves to determine the winner, which is announced in front of thousands at SEMA Ignited.

Foose pays a visit to two of the Young Guns builders who represent the up-and-coming generation of vehicle artisans. Watch their one-of-a-kind builds and find out how the competition culminates this Sunday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. (EDT)/3:00 p.m. (PDT) on the Velocity Network.

For more information on SEMA Battle of the Builders and how you can take part in the competition, visit www.SEMAShow.com/botb.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Two U.S. House of Representatives committees with jurisdiction over healthcare legislation have approved a bill to repeal, replace and amend much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly referred to as Obamacare. Considered the first phase of reforming the ACA, the House Ways and Means and Energy & Commerce Committees took up their respective portions of the legislation, titled the American Health Care Act (AHCA).   

SEMA is in the process of analyzing the reform proposal and the amendments being made by the committees. The bill repeals the ACA’s tax provisions, including tax penalties for individuals and employers, provides tax credits to individuals to purchase health insurance, expands Health Savings Accounts, provides money to states to manage a safety net fund and phases out the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid. The bill has been billed as the first phase of a plan to replace the ACA. Due to the expedited procedure being used to pass the AHCA, Congress will have to take up separate bills under traditional rules to address items, such as interstate shopping for health care, creation of nationwide health insurance buying pools and medical liability reform.

While the bill now proceeds to the Budget Committee and House floor, it still faces many challenges. It has not yet received a cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office and faces opposition in the Senate. 

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Two U.S. House of Representatives committees with jurisdiction over healthcare legislation have approved a bill to repeal, replace and amend much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly referred to as Obamacare. Considered the first phase of reforming the ACA, the House Ways and Means and Energy & Commerce Committees took up their respective portions of the legislation, titled the American Health Care Act (AHCA).   

SEMA is in the process of analyzing the reform proposal and the amendments being made by the committees. The bill repeals the ACA’s tax provisions, including tax penalties for individuals and employers, provides tax credits to individuals to purchase health insurance, expands Health Savings Accounts, provides money to states to manage a safety net fund and phases out the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid. The bill has been billed as the first phase of a plan to replace the ACA. Due to the expedited procedure being used to pass the AHCA, Congress will have to take up separate bills under traditional rules to address items, such as interstate shopping for health care, creation of nationwide health insurance buying pools and medical liability reform.

While the bill now proceeds to the Budget Committee and House floor, it still faces many challenges. It has not yet received a cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office and faces opposition in the Senate. 

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Two U.S. House of Representatives committees with jurisdiction over healthcare legislation have approved a bill to repeal, replace and amend much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly referred to as Obamacare. Considered the first phase of reforming the ACA, the House Ways and Means and Energy & Commerce Committees took up their respective portions of the legislation, titled the American Health Care Act (AHCA).   

SEMA is in the process of analyzing the reform proposal and the amendments being made by the committees. The bill repeals the ACA’s tax provisions, including tax penalties for individuals and employers, provides tax credits to individuals to purchase health insurance, expands Health Savings Accounts, provides money to states to manage a safety net fund and phases out the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid. The bill has been billed as the first phase of a plan to replace the ACA. Due to the expedited procedure being used to pass the AHCA, Congress will have to take up separate bills under traditional rules to address items, such as interstate shopping for health care, creation of nationwide health insurance buying pools and medical liability reform.

While the bill now proceeds to the Budget Committee and House floor, it still faces many challenges. It has not yet received a cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office and faces opposition in the Senate. 

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Two U.S. House of Representatives committees with jurisdiction over healthcare legislation have approved a bill to repeal, replace and amend much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly referred to as Obamacare. Considered the first phase of reforming the ACA, the House Ways and Means and Energy & Commerce Committees took up their respective portions of the legislation, titled the American Health Care Act (AHCA).   

SEMA is in the process of analyzing the reform proposal and the amendments being made by the committees. The bill repeals the ACA’s tax provisions, including tax penalties for individuals and employers, provides tax credits to individuals to purchase health insurance, expands Health Savings Accounts, provides money to states to manage a safety net fund and phases out the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid. The bill has been billed as the first phase of a plan to replace the ACA. Due to the expedited procedure being used to pass the AHCA, Congress will have to take up separate bills under traditional rules to address items, such as interstate shopping for health care, creation of nationwide health insurance buying pools and medical liability reform.

While the bill now proceeds to the Budget Committee and House floor, it still faces many challenges. It has not yet received a cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office and faces opposition in the Senate. 

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.