hanges in the automotive industry have increased demand for people with high-tech skills. Working on a car is a whole different thing these days, said Bob Laplace, a judge at the competition, who works for Hunter Engineering Company, an automotive services equipment manufacture.

“The days of the old grease monkey have gone by the boards,” he said. “Now to do this job you need to be an electrician, a welder, a diagnostician. You need to know technology.”

That’s one reason Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, started the National Automotive Technology Competition more than 10 years ago.

“The school system couldn’t keep up with the technology exploding all over the place,” Schienberg said. “They were teaching points and condensers, and working on carburetors. Nobody’s used a carburetor for about 10 years.”

Matt Iacono represented New York State in the competition at the Javits Center in Manhattan last month, which took part at the same time as the New York Auto Show. When Iacono was in middle school, his best friend’s dad took him to a swap meet. Ever since the 17 –year old has loved cars. This love led him to take automotive classes at L.A. Wilson Tech on Long Island. Iacono’s teammate, Malav Oza, started even earlier.

“When I was two I was playing with matchbox cars,” he said. “I just started taking everything apart and fixing it -- clocks, everything. My dad hid his tools from me.”

The competition is in two parts. One day, the 36 teams go to six different workstations. The next day the teams get down, but not so dirty, using their scanner, computer and wrenches to fix cars that have been rigged to malfunction.

The technology of cars isn’t the only thing that’s changing. High school senior Manny Lopez, 18, of Miami, Fla., said he’s pleased with his teammate because she is the only female in the competition.

Cinthia Muñoz, also 18, joined the program when she was a freshman to try something new, and she now works as a mechanic at a Lexus dealership.

“My manager is a woman,” she said. “She’s very happy about having me working for her. Guys are more sloppy.”

Muñoz says her customers also like having a female mechanic, although some are skeptical at first.“Some guys are like, ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’ But then when they see what I’ve done, they tell me it’s great work.”

Schienberg wants to encourage Muñoz and others like her. His organization plans to complete a $25 million automotive training facility in Whitestone, Queens, where young people will be able to study all aspects of the business. The center will also offer continuing education courses.

“Psychologists have continuing education, doctors have it, but where do you go for continuing automotive education?” he asked.