THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB SATISFACTION/SATISFACTORINESS AND THE BREADTH/SPECIFICITY OF AUTO MECHANICS PROGRAMS

One set of factors which curriculum planners should consider when determining the appropriate breadth/specificity for post-secondary vocational programs is the relative job satisfaction and satisfactoriness of the program graduates. This study compared the job and occupational satisfaction, and the job satisfactoriness of graduates from general auto mechanics programs with those from specialized auto mechanics programs.;The long-form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and the Minnesota Satisfactoriness Scales (MSS) were used to measure job and occupational satisfaction, and job satisfactoriness, respectively. Two general information questionnaires were also used to gather data from graduates on prior job experience in auto mechanics and to collect additional information from employers about graduates' satisfactoriness (productivity) on the job.;Specific comparisons were made between two sets of graduates: (a) Those who graduated from general auto mechanics programs and those who graduated from specialized auto mechanics programs, all of whom were employed in jobs which utilized all of their training; and (b) those who graduated from general programs, one group who were employed in jobs which utilized all of their training and the other group whose jobs utilized only some of their training.;It was concluded that graduates of the specialized auto mechanics programs who were employed on jobs in which they utilized all of their training were more satisfied with their present job; and also had greater occupational satisfaction than graduates of the general auto mechanics programs who were employed in jobs utilizing all of their training. Employers gave significantly higher satisfactoriness ratings to graduates of the specialized auto mechanics programs than to the graduates of the general auto mechanics programs when both sets of graduates held jobs that utilized all of their training.;These comparisons were made using a sample of 70 graduates from both types of programs who were employed on jobs in which they utilized (a) all of their training, and (b) only some of their training.;Among the graduates of the general auto mechanics program, there was no significant difference in either job or occupational satisfaction or in employer ratings of satisfactoriness between the graduates who were employed on jobs in which they utilized all of their training and those who utilized only some of their training.