A 60-year-old Ames man has switched careers from office worker to automotive mechanic, and he said with enough thought and preparation it's the kind of move anyone can make at any point in their lives.

Mike Witt graduated in May from Ford's ASSET program , a partnership with the automaker, schools and Ford and Lincoln dealerships to train technicians. He studied in the ASSET program at Des Moines Area Community College downtown and under mentorship at the sponsoring Ames Ford Lincoln dealership on Airport Road in Ames.

Witt stood out among his classmates, most of whom were right out of high school or recent college graduates.

Why make a big career change near retirement age?

"I spent 40 years doing a job I didn't like and didn't want," Witt said.

The Wisconsin native who worked

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