Earning the title of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) World-Class Technician is no small accomplishment. To be recognized as world class, these individuals have obtained ASE certification in 22 specialty areas: A1-A8 (automotive), T1-T8 (medium/heavy truck), B2-B5 (collision repair), and L1-L2 (advanced).
Not only is achieving certification in these areas impressive, but as of 2026, a few more than 2,000 technicians have achieved World Class status.
In this Q&A, Motor Age sat down with Sean Warchol—an ASE World Class Fleet Maintenance Operations Supervisor for the City of Raleigh in Raleigh, North Carolina—to learn more about his journey in the automotive industry and how gaining world class status has helped advance his career.
Motor Age: Please introduce yourself and tell us about your experience in the automotive industry.
Sean Warchol: Growing up, I always played with bikes and fixed them up. I'd tinker around with stuff. When I was in high school, they had an automotive program that was for the vocational track. I really enjoyed doing that. From there, I was a technician and, after a slew of jobs, ended up working for the City of Raleigh. I received my ASE World Class Status in 2025.
Motor Age: What's the most memorable repair you've ever completed?
Warchol: It was on a 2010 Jetta. The problem turned out to be a broken wire, but that wire wasn't actually in the wiring diagram, which was wrong.
Motor Age: Tell us one thing about you that we can't guess from your certifications.
Warchol: My wife and I are really big gardeners. It's mostly decorative. So, we've got boatloads of hydrangeas and all sorts of stuff. Our yard is a giant explosion of color. If you can think of it, we've probably got it.
Motor Age: What automotive technology trend are you most excited about? Most concerned about?
Warchol: I'm concerned about how everything has become a lot more interconnected. Like the information and the Internet of Things. Especially in a fleet operation. We use Geotab to track all our vehicles and get back diagnostic codes to monitor their performance. It's scary to think how that will interface with the actual vehicles without causing issues.
Motor Age: How has ASE certification helped advance your career?
Warchol: It certainly helped advance my career with the city. One of the things they offer for all our technicians is that whenever you get your master's in that field, you get an additional 5% increase in your pay, and that sticks with you. Also, just the prestige of being an ASE World Class technician.
