WCC receives Corvette engines to use as student training aides.

Dec 03, 2023

Wayne Community College General Motors- Automotive Service Education Program Coordinator David Byrd looks over new Corvette LT6 engines provided by GM.

General Motors recently donated two LT6 engines to Wayne Community College's GM Automotive Service Education Program. Students will begin working with them this summer.

"This kind of gift allows our students to train on the latest technology. It gives them hands-on experience that prepares them for the workplace," said WCC GM ASEP Coordinator David Byrd. "We are grateful for GM's support of the program and our future technicians."

The LT6 powers the 2023 Corvette Z06 and is a version of engine that has powered the Corvette C8.R race car since 2019. Byrd noted that the engines were hand-built at GM's Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky.

Many features in the racing engine carry over to the road engine, he said. It "features a double overhead camshaft and a flat-plane crank, and is the most powerful naturally aspirated production V8."

The LT6 engines join two other recent GM donations of a 3.6L V-6 engine for Chevrolet Colorados and Trailblazers and a 2021 Corvette engine in a lab full of engines and vehicles.

"We are invested in our GM ASEP schools and annually donate an average of more than 250 newer model vehicles, along with engines, components and tools," said John Roth, GM global vice president for customer care and aftersales, at the time of the V-6 truck engine donation.

"Today's technicians are working on highly technical vehicles and their skills continue to evolve as the industry transforms," Roth said. "When these students have the opportunity to work on our latest technologies in real-time, it can give them a competitive advantage in the workplace and ultimately make our GM dealership experience stronger for our customers."

GM-ASEP is a partnership between GM, GM dealers, ACDelco Professional Service Centers, and select colleges. The program prepares students for a career as a GM-Certified Service Technician and leads to an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Automotive Systems Technology GM-ASEP. Classes and labs that provide advanced automotive technical training and work-based learning in a dealership are combined with a foundation in math, electronics, and analytical skills.

WCC is one of just 51 GM Automotive Service Education Program schools located around the U.S.

Individuals interested in the GM-ASEP program can contact Byrd at [email protected] or 919-739-6820.

Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 165 college credit programs. WCC's mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.