About I-CAR - Current Events/News: E-newsletter: E-newsletter: November 10, 2003

I-CAR is pleased to announce that DaimlerChrysler, through DaimlerChrysler Academy (DCA) School of Technical Training, now incorporates I-CAR Enhanced Delivery programs into their collision repair technician program.

This inclusion of I-CAR Enhanced Delivery programs is meant to assist dealers in training collision repair facility employees with the proper collision repair procedures used on Chrysler Group vehicles.

DaimlerChrysler dealer technicians:

Can attend I-CAR Enhanced Delivery programs as anyone else would by taking I-CAR training, through I-CAR's existing class delivery system with I-CAR instructors.
Utilize the same curriculum and registration process.
Experience the same inter-industry classroom settings.
Take the same program post and qualification tests.
Receive the most up to date training in collision repair.

"We are very proud to have established this affiliation with the DaimlerChrysler Academy and in having the opportunity to provide collision repair training to the Chrysler Group dealers through our volunteer and instructor network. DaimlerChrysler Academy including I-CAR Enhanced Delivery programs and qualification tests in their program demonstrates how partnerships within the collision industry will continue to reduce redundant curriculum development, staff time, and tuition expenses that exist in our industry," stated Tom McGee, I-CAR Executive Vice President and CEO. McGee further commented, "Ultimately, this affiliation will also benefit owners of DaimlerChrysler vehicles, whose collision damaged vehicle will be properly repaired by trained professionals."

		DaimlerChrysler 2004 Curriculum Skill Area 12 - Body Repair (154K) in Adobe Acrobat Format
		DaimlerChrysler 2004 Curriculum Skill Area 14 - Refinishing (147K) in Adobe Acrobat Format

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR I-CAR 2004 INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING - 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION IN CHICAGO

I-CAR will host its 2004 International Annual Meeting - 25th Anniversary Celebration August 4 - 8, 2004, at The Fairmont Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. This event will be one to remember, as I-CAR will recognize those in the past and present who have dedicated themselves to educating others and leading the industry into the future! The I-CAR International Annual Meeting will bring together hundreds of collision industry professionals from across the United States and Canada to "Celebrate the Shared Vision," which is the theme of this year's meeting.

Exciting events to look forward to during the 2004 I-CAR International Annual Meeting include:

Technical Clinics - Learn about industry hot topics, including presentations from OEMs, equipment and product manufacturers, and information providers.
Welcome Reception Cruise - Set sail for the Welcome Reception with Odyssey Cruises, offering incredible views of Lake Michigan and the world-famous Chicago skyline.
Education Foundation Golf Tournament - Ensure continued preparation of entry-level employees while having fun by participating in the 3rd Annual Golf Tournament.
Explore Chicago - Experience the Windy City "I-CAR style" with special tours of some of the best Chicago attractions such as the Historical Chicago Lake & River tour, Shedd Aquarium, and Field Museum.
Awards & Recognition Celebration - Take a walk down memory lane during a special anniversary Awards & Recognition Banquet.
I-CAR Hall of Fame - Celebrate the dedication, commitment, and contributions of I-CAR volunteers as they are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Go online today for additional event information and register for the I-CAR 2004 International Annual Meeting - 25th Anniversary Celebration!

I-CAR INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER ROD ENLOW HONORED AT NACE 2003

I-CAR International Board of Directors member Rod Enlow was recognized by the industry for his contributions and dedication, in ceremonies held at NACE 2003 in Orlando. He was inducted into the industry's prestigious "Hall of Eagles," the collision industry's equivalent of the "Hall of Fame," at an annual NACE awards ceremony titled the "Industry Night of Achievement" on December 3, 2003. This honor is given to individuals in the collision industry in recognition of their exemplary leadership, dedication, and outstanding contributions.

Enlow has been involved with the collision repair industry for the past 15 years and currently has his own technical consulting business - RENlow Auto Technical Consulting, LLC. Most recently he was the Director of Auto Industry Affairs for USAA. He is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Certified Automotive Parts Association's (CAPA) Technical Committee, serves as Co-chair for the CIC Parts & Airbag and Fraud Awareness Committees, past Chairman of the Independent Auto Damage Appraisers (IADA) Advisory Board, National Auto Body Council (NABC), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) South. TX. Board of governors, Service Technicians Society, served on ADP Claims Solutions advisory committee, and serves on the Mitchell International advisory committee.

Enlow currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer on the I-CAR Executive Committee and has served on the I-CAR International Board of Directors since 2000. He also recently received the Collision Industry Service Award by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) at their annual Corporate Awards Luncheon held April 3, 2003 in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Enlow's extensive involvement within the collision industry has not only been significant to I-CAR, but the collision industry as a whole. Rod's election into the Hall of Eagles is well deserved and recognizes the many contributions that he has made to help improve the industry," stated Tom McGee, I-CAR Executive Vice President and CEO. McGee further commented, "We are thankful for his dedication to the collision industry and participation in I-CAR."

I-CAR TRAINING PROGRAMS RECOGNIZED FOR CONTINUED EDUCATION UNIT CREDITS IN NORTH CAROLINA

The state of North Carolina, which requires continuing education for insurance adjusters, has approved I-CAR as a training provider. The following programs have been approved for continued education credits in North Carolina:

The entire I-CAR Enhanced Delivery curriculum is being submitted for approval. For more information please contact I-CAR Data and Quality Assurance Administrator Denise Wallace or I-CAR Southeast Field Manager Jerry Sopkowiak.

I-CAR INFORMATION NIGHT TO BE HELD FOR NORTHWEST REGION

On January 22, 2004 owners, managers, technicians, and students are cordially invited to kick off 2004 with the Snohomish/King County I-CAR Committee informational night. This informative evening will be held from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the Lake Washington Technical College in the Auditorium West Building, room 404. Find out what is new and exciting with I-CAR in the up coming year. Seating will be limited, so be sure to reserve your spot now!

Other beneficial features of the meeting include:

Receive a copy of the new I-CAR training paths that was announced at NACE and a full explanation of how it is used.
Sign up for individual help from the Sno/King I-CAR Committee for your 2004 training needs.
Meet Rick Tuuri, I-CAR Director of Business Development and Field Operations.
Snacks provided by Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz Rental Car.

Please RSVP with one of the following individuals today to ensure that you can take part in this great event:

Wendy Bullard - 206.431.1812
Larry Hults - 425.745.8153
Sheri Leyda - 425.787.1659

WQT QUICK PIC

Pictured is Mahany Welding Supply in Rochester, New York which opened in July 2003. This is the first I-CAR Steel Welding Qualification Test site in the state of New York. (left to right) Owner Mike Krupnicki, Sales Consultant Dave Barth, Welding Engineering Specialist Guy Hughson, I-CAR Qualification Test Manager Audie Swedeen.

OREGON SHOPS RECEIVE $125K STATE GRANT TO PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING
As appeared in the November 2003 issue of Automotive Body Repair News (ABRN). By John Yoswick. Reprinted with permission.

A consortium of four collision repair shops in Oregon has received a $125,000 workforce development grant to help provide collision repair training to Lane County technicians.

The grant is one of several awarded this summer by the Oregon Workforce Board to support projects that target workforce skill development aimed at enabling workers to attain or retain family wage jobs.

Jim Carlin, property claims trainer for State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. in Eugene, Oregon, says the effort that led to the grant began with a search for a new classroom location to hold local I-CAR classes. Carlin, who serves as district chairman for the Lane County I-CAR committee, says one member of the committee suggested contacting an acquaintance at the local state employment office.

"I contacted her, and she was very interested in I-CAR - what it stood for, and what it did," Carlin says. "I also told her about the industry's concern about the lack of technicians and the increase in the average age of technicians. She was very interested and thought there might be some ways our organizations could work together."

Members of the I-CAR committee formed a coalition to begin meeting with the state to work through the paperwork, presentations and other steps in the grant development process, assisted by the Lane Workforce Partnership.

The grant, announced this summer, will be used to reimburse coalition members for half of the expense of I-CAR training for new or existing employees. In addition to I-CAR courses, training that qualifies under the Industry Training Alliance - such as that offered by paint or equipment manufacturers-can also qualify for matching funds.

"The money can also be used to help subsidize the journeyman technician who's spending three to four hours a day assisting a trainee," Carlin says. "Plus there's some ways to subsidized the trainee's pay and all training-related expenses."

Participating in the coalition are four shops with a total of five Lane County locations. "With as fast as vehicle technology is changing, our techs are going to get lost without a lot of ongoing training, and that's something this grant will help us provide," Simon Carranza, owner of Simon's Top Quality Auto Body and Paint Inc. in Eugene, Oregon, - one of the four businesses in the coalition - says.

"Especially for young people coming into this industry, this is going to help them advance more quickly and help give the journeyman more time that they can work with them."

John Kimpton, co-owner of A Street Automotive and Collision in Springfield, Oregon, another of the participating shops, agrees. "In the past, we've had a training budget and sometimes had to put off some training until next year," he says. "This grant money will help us get our employees as much training as is available. It's going to help the whole industry in this area, because we'll be able to get training brought to this area that otherwise we'd all have to travel to Portland or elsewhere for."

The other shops in the coalition are Auto Body Specialties, Inc., in Springfield, Oregon, and Old Dominion CARSTAR Collision Centers with locations in both Eugene and Springfield, Oregon.

Carlin says he hopes the program can be expanded to include more shops and people interested in careers in the industry in the future.

The Lane County employment office, for example, has the names of 36 collision repair technicians in the area who had called the employment office looking for work, Carlin says.

"But only one of them had any I-CAR training," he says. "So we said if we can help bring these guys up to the level they need to be at to maintain a job in this industry, it would not only help them, but help the industry as well," Carlin says.

Carlin's role in helping work with the local I-CAR committee to form the coalition and earn the grant helped him earn I-CAR's Founder's Award for the Northwest Region. The annual award, presented in July at I-CAR's Annual Meeting in Florida, recognizes the person from each I-CAR region that "most exemplifies the I-CAR spirit," according to I-CAR.

In presenting the award, I-CAR Northwest Regional Manager Bob Mickey says Carlin is not only "one of those I-CAR volunteers who is irreplaceable," but also "incredibly dedicated to the collision industry." Carlin has served as chairman of the local I-CAR committee since 1991. In addition to the grant program, Mickey cited Carlin's efforts last year to build public and industry support to save Lane Community College's collision repair program from the budget ax. Carlin, in turn, thanked his employer, State Farm. "State Farm is a big supporter of I-CAR and of training and has been in full support of all these activities," he says.

SPRING DATES SET FOR ASE CERTIFICATION TEST REGISTRATION

Spring ASE certification tests will be offered in May 2004, with a registration deadline of March 26 for all tests. The tests will be given at over 700 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

To become ASE-certified, students register for and take one or more of ASE's 40-plus exams. After passing at least one exam and providing proof of two years of relevant work experience, the automotive professional becomes ASE-certified. However, re-certification must take place every five years.

I-CAR and Industry Training Alliance training programs prepare collision repair professionals for ASE certification tests. A properly-trained automotive professional that has also completed the appropriate ASE certification(s) provides the credentials that give the vehicle owner confidence that their vehicle can be properly repaired.

Registration information can be obtained by visiting the ASE web site, by calling the ASE toll-free information line at 877.ASE.TECH or ASE customer service at 703.669.6600, or by writing to:

ASE
101 Blue Seal Dr., S.E., Suite 101
Leesburg, VA 20174

ENHANCED DELIVERY STATUS

As we introduce new Enhanced Delivery training programs, we will continue to update you on recently completed programs, as well as those in development. For a list of the latest Enhanced Delivery programs available, you can view or download the PDF below. Available programs are highlighted in red. You can also search our online class schedules to find an Enhanced Delivery program near you.

		Enhanced Delivery Courses and Programs Development -04/26/2006 ( 32K) in Adobe Acrobat Format

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DAIMLERCHRYSLER ACADEMY SCHOOL OF TECHNICAL TRAINING TO INCORPORATE I-CAR TRAINING PROGRAMS