Collision Repair Training | United States
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Current Events/News: E-newsletter: 2006 Archives
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I-CAR EDUCATION FOUNDATION CHAIR THANKS INDUSTRY FOR SUPPORT OF PERKINS ACTAfter passing Congress with near unanimous support, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005 was signed into law by the President of the United States on August 12. As a result, Federal funding will continue to those states and schools that offer technical education, including collision repair programs.
“Career and technical education programs are an important part of the lives of young people who are pursuing a rewarding career in the collision industry. The pre-employment training students receive at high schools and colleges supported by the Federal funding authorized by this legislation helps pave the way for a successful career,” continued Plucinski. Plucinski wrote an “open letter” to the industry on May 2 urging collision industry professionals to contact their national representatives to enlist their support for the Perkins Act. No less than the future of the industry rides on the ability to attract, train and retain students in collision repair. Without Federal funding, many programs would have been forced to close and important resources would have been lost to the industry. In the very early morning hours of July 29, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Conference Report on the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005 (S. 250) by a recorded vote of 399-1. The vote follows the Senate's July 27th approval of the Conference Report by unanimous consent. The purpose of this Act is to develop the academic and career and technical skills of secondary and postsecondary education students who enroll in career and technical education programs. The legislation authorizes continued Federal funding to the states in support of career and technical education programs such as collision repair technology. Career and technical education programs provide young people with both important technical skills combined with rigorous academics in preparation for entry-level employment in collision repair, insurance and supplier segments of the collision industry. Students whose schools use the I-CAR Live curriculum can apply their training towards credit for a college degree in the many colleges and universities with collision repair technology programs. In addition, on August 8th, I-CAR announced that any collision industry professional that has successfully completed I-CAR training may apply their training towards a college degree through a newly formed relationship with the University of Phoenix Online. This program can also benefit students who have received training at a career or technical school or college that uses I-CAR Live curriculum and is a member of the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance. |
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ATTEND I-CAR TRAINING IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICEThe I-CAR Virtual Classroom is the perfect solution for those who just can’t get to an I-CAR training site. You can take I-CAR training from the privacy of your home or office and earn points without spending a fortune on gasoline! An updated schedule of I-CAR Virtual Classroom training is now available! Learn about aluminum, hybrids, and more through this unique delivery. The I-CAR Virtual Classroom combines the interaction of I-CAR live instruction with the added convenience of training at a personal computer. Each training session lasts approximately two hours and contains an online post test. One-half (0.5) of a point is awarded for successful completion of each Virtual Classroom program. These points may be applied to the I-CAR Gold Class Professionals and Platinum Individual recognition programs. The latest I-CAR Virtual Classroom training schedule follows: The Virtual Classroom benefits students with convenience and quality, making this new delivery system a must-try! Some of the benefits of I-CAR Virtual Classroom include:
I-CAR Virtual Classroom is delivered via WebEx, an internet-based system that integrates voice and data sharing to enhance the learning experience. To attend an I-CAR Virtual Training session, you only need a high-speed internet connection and a separate phone line. After a free and simple software download, attendees can be prepared for Virtual Classroom training in minutes after registering. Purchasing and pre-registering for Virtual Classroom training is easy. Payment for Virtual Classroom training is made online with a credit card on a secure e-commerce system. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required to attend these sessions. I-CAR discount training coupons are not used for I-CAR Virtual Classroom training. Visit the Virtual Classroom section online for more information. |
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REGISTER FOR AN UPCOMING QUALIFICATION TEST!Have you advanced your professional skills by successfully completing one of the three I-CAR qualification tests (QTs)? Recognized by many OEMs, insurance companies, and other collision industry segments, I-CAR QTs allow professionals the opportunity to demonstrate that they have skills needed to perform the tasks required for proper, efficient, and safe collision repairs. Demonstrate your skills by registering for an I-CAR QT today! Click on a state/province below to view their full QT training schedule! Find Qualification Tests Located In:
Pre-registration and pre-payment are required for I-CAR QTs. Please contact I-CAR customer care at 800.422.7872 to check availability of QT dates and open seats. Need to view additional test dates or are you located in a different I-CAR region? Visit the QT specific web page and simply enter in your ZIP/postal code to find the most up-to-date class and qualification test schedules!
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NACE 2006 - I-CAR TRAINING PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTDon't miss NACE 2006 November 1-4 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. From now until NACE, we will highlight a program being taught at NACE in the e-newsletter. This edition's NACE I-CAR training program highlight is:
Electric and Electric Hybrid Vehicles (ALT01)
NACE attendees can take this class at the promotional price of $65 and receive an I-CAR point for attending. This is a real benefit for those attending NACE 2006. The class will take place on Wednesday, November 1 from 1 - 5 p.m. Visit I-CAR online for a complete list of the NACE I-CAR class offerings. Register now for classes at NACE 2006! For more information visit them online. I-CAR TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE Also, new at NACE, the I-CAR Technology Showcase, will be held in place of last year's Live Action Demo! See live presentations of the latest in today's collision repair procedures.
The first day's schedule is: Thursday, November 2, 2006
1 - 2 p.m.
3 - 4 p.m.
See the I-CAR web site for a complete listing of the I-CAR Technology Showcase session schedule. |
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MY BUSINESS IS GOLD CLASS BECAUSE...
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GOLD CLASS PROFESSIONALS DESIGNATED BUSINESSES EARN 15 YEARS
An elite group of only 30 businesses has qualified for the Gold Class Professionals designation for 15 consecutive years! I-CAR would like to congratulate and thank the following businesses for their exceptional commitment to collision repair training. Businesses that have earned 15 consecutive years of the Gold Class Professionals status are listed below in the order that they joined the program:
"These collision professionals are to be congratulated and commended for their tremendous vision, resulting in a long-term commitment to training," said I-CAR Director of Business Development and North American Operations Rick Tuuri. "While others were wondering about the need for up-to-date training, these industry leaders have set the example and the pace. I would like to sincerely thank these businesses for being progressive and concerned enough to understand the importance of proper collision repair training and I challenge the rest of the industry to follow their lead." |
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I-CAR RECOGNIZES NEW AND LONG-TERM GOLD CLASS BUSINESSES
The Gold Class Professionals program welcomed over 200 new businesses between July 2, 2006 and September 1, 2006. I-CAR would like to commend these businesses on their commitment to collision repair training. I-CAR is grateful for the dedication shown by all of its Gold Class Professionals designated businesses, and looks forward to the time when every person in the collision industry has the necessary technical knowledge and skills relevant to their position to achieve complete and safe repairs. Please note: Gold Class Professionals recognition appears bi-monthly in the I-CAR e-newsletter. The next recognition article will appear in a November 2006 edition.
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Q&A WITH I-CAR IN AUSTRALIA GENERAL MANAGER, RICHARD PRATT
I have a commercial background in banking, finance, and insurance, and have been for most of my life in the automotive industry, either as a business owner or through my motor racing pursuits. I was heavily involved in the exhaust industry, throughout the eighties and nineties running a number of franchised outlets. When I retired from that industry segment, I joined MTAQ (Motor Trades Association of Queensland) as General Manager, where the collision industry was just one of a number of industry sectors under my control. I was heavily involved in the industry lobbying approaches to government in early 2000-2001 regarding the relationship between insurers and repairers, and also the consumer concerns which stemmed from those issues. 2) When did you first learn about I-CAR? In my role with MTAQ I facilitated five or six national conferences for the collision repair industry from 2000 on, and during those events, discussion continually gravitated towards I-CAR and what it could do for the industry. Contact was made with Robert Renwick from I-CAR in New Zealand, and we convinced him to speak at one of those conferences. It was about the same time other parties were communicating with the US about getting I-CAR into Australia. 3) How did the process of bringing I-CAR to Australia get started? There had been a number of groups keen to see I-CAR come down under, and following a trip by Tom McGee in 2004, those groups started communicating with each other. In the end, MTAQ offered to take the lead in setting up an advisory committee to drive the initiative. My role within MTAQ was to head that group and make it happen on behalf on the industry. 4) Why is it essential to bring I-CAR to Australia? Particularly in the structural repair sector, there had been little ongoing training about new metals, technologies, or repair processes. Further it was becoming more difficult for individual repairers to get up to date information from the vehicle manufacturers. One organization needed to take the initiative and consolidate the efforts of many. I-CAR had such a great reputation and was so well accepted, particularly by the insurers. 5) What are the most dire training needs for collision repair technicians and insurers in Australia today? Whilst Australia is experiencing a huge shortage of skilled technicians, it is also suffering from a lack of knowledge across the board about manufacturing and hence correct repair techniques and processes, as well the emerging technologies. The insurers like the repairers are struggling for information. 6) What will bringing I-CAR to Australia do for the relationship between collision repair facilities and insurers? That relationship has matured significantly over the past number of years. The presence of I-CAR will without doubt remove a lot of the uncertainty about methods of repair. Greater knowledge for both the repairer and the insurance assessor will alleviate many of the problems that arise while repairs are being affected. The use of that knowledge by both parties will result in safer repairs for the consumer motorist. 7) How will OEMs benefit from I-CAR training in Australia? As in the US, I-CAR is looking forward to developing close working partnerships with all the vehicle manufacturers. The dissemination of technical information by a recognized independent agency will reduce the pressures on the manufacturers about the distribution of their individual repair methods to a very large market base. Further one would expect industry input into manufacturing processes, which are mostly driven by technological advancements, may prove beneficial to those manufacturers. It will also provide a greater level of confidence by those OEMs in the quality of repair to their particular brand across the industry as a whole. 8) What are some of the challenges collision industry professionals face today and how does I-CAR training combat that? The skills shortage is the greatest problem. A number of industry groups have attempted jointly to encourage school drop-outs to consider the collision industry as a career. The skills enhancement provided by I-CAR will lift not only the quality of repair but also the professionalism of the individual repairer. Couple that with the initiatives of the collision careers program and the growing reputation of I-CAR, and one would hope to see a lift in both the number and caliber of applicants for collision industry career positions. 9) How do you in vision the future of I-CAR in Australia, five to ten years down the road and beyond? Our five year plan is fairly comprehensive. We anticipate a number of regional offices open at the end of the five year period. In a country so vast, that is a huge task in itself. I-CAR will be recognized as being the catalyst behind a huge lift in both the quality of repair as well as being accepted as a driving force in positioning the collision industry with a hugely improved professional image. Within 10 years I-CAR will be a recognized household name across the country, respected by all automotive industry sectors, the authorities, and the consumers alike. 10) Why is September 20th a historical day for I-CAR in Australia? September 20th is not just about signing the documentation (licensing agreement with I-CAR) and celebrating that as an event on its own. It is a day of recognition of the work that so many industry participants have performed in getting I-CAR into the country. It will also be a culmination of all the individual attempts to make the collision industry a more professional one, with safer repairs and an improved viability for business survival. September 20th will celebrate the arrival, but it will focus more on celebrating where I-CAR can take us all into the future. |
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I-CAR EDUCATION FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHT: STUDENT COMPLETES I-CAR CLASS WITH DREAMS OF FUTURE BUSINESS OWNERSHIP
Garcia is a student in the Automotive Collision Repair Technician Program at Samuel A. Heyward Career and Technology Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Already Garcia has shown signs of standing out from among the pack. Just last year, Garcia was chosen as presenting the Best Career Interest Project out of his entire class. The Career Interest Project is a year long progressive project in the career and technology area. The student must complete a portfolio, a project (as seen in picture), and give a formal presentation. A panel of industry professionals as well as the classroom teacher rate the overall project. Because the school is a member of the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance, Garcia was also the first student at the school to earn an I-CAR point, by completing, Fundamentals of Collision Repair (FCR01). He is working on earning additional points but will not be eligible to do that until October. Heyward Career and Technology Center is a member of the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance in Level I. Schools that are in Level I have met all the criteria to initially join the Training Alliance and have had students apply for I-CAR points within the past 24 months. Please see the I-CAR Education Foundation web site to learn the benefits of the Industry Training Alliance and how your technical school or college can join.
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1) Tell us about your background, how did you get started in the collision industry?
Twelfth-grader Reynaldo DeLeon Garcia, an immigrant from Guatemala, has dreams of owning his own custom paint facility one day. It’s a reality that he says he hopes will one day come true. Through his own determination and the training he’s received, he’s destined to reach his goal.