Bodyworx: Training in the 21st Century

For those of you that have been around as long as I have (1978), you will remember how little training there was back in the day. You learned on the job, you went to a college for apprenticeship training (basic and advanced) and you hoped that they were up to date with their equipment and training. Most vehicles were mild steel and there were very few, if any, OEM procedures. I worked at a Toyota dealership in the mid 80’s and found collision repair manuals amongst the mechanics manuals by accident. MAG welders were introduced into the shops in the early 80’s. They were basically dropped off in the shop and if you were lucky the sales rep gave you a 15 minute orientation of how to use it. In my case, it was “there it is, figure it out”.  

I-CAR training started in Canada in the late 1970’s and it was the start of some form of standardized training. I recall going to classes where the shop paid for their technicians to go to class and they would sleep in the back (true story). I always gravitated to any training available, my feeling was that it would make me a better technician and possibly provide an opportunity to move to a better shop. 

I took every I-CAR course available and an advanced collision repair training course on an equipment manufactures 3 types of measuring systems from that time. In 1988 I took a year off to go to teachers college to become a high school autobody teacher. When I started teaching I took a number of paint certification courses since paint was not my specialty and I continued to take a number of I-CAR courses to stay on top of what was happening in industry. Sadly, taking courses in my field did nothing for my teaching pay. It was more advantages to take additional teaching qualifications in different tech areas. Those courses helped with pay category changes which helped in my compensation as a teacher.  

For those technicians taking additional training to make themselves better technicians and more knowledgeable in how today’s vehicles are built and what materials they are made of is more important than anything. Vehicle technology is changing faster than technicians can keep up. They should be compensated accordingly. Shops that do not provide opportunities for their technicians to upgrade their skills will eventually lose out.  

I can see a day when the trade may have to be broken down into additional licenses. Gone will be the autobody and collision damage repairer and perhaps be replaced by the auto body electrical/ADAS/Air bag technician, auto body cosmetic damage repairer (PDR, glue pulling), structural technician, etc. The days of one technician being able to do everything on a vehicle will be gone. 

Having been involved with Skills Training for the past 34 years as a trainer, judge, technical chair at the local, provincial, national and a World Skills Expert has taught me how important training is to keep technicians engaged, up to date and hungry for the next new thing. I am going into my fifth World Skills competition in Shanghai with a young technician who is probably the best prepared young person I have ever taken to a World Skills competition. The shop he works for is very progressive and OEM certified for many, many OEM’s including some very high end brands. The shop invests in their technicians training because it is mandated by the OEM’s and they foster a culture of ongoing training in the shop starting young apprentices off in training at a young age. This culture of training as part of their job fosters better repairs and fewer come backs. 

Training has to start at the shop management level, everyone has to buy in to the importance of proper training. Unfortunately much of that OEM training is in the US but, there are some private training facilities, I-CAR classes, equipment suppliers and some colleges will offer after hours training. Every year more and more training facilities are popping up. The shop and technicians need to go after the training, they need to buy into the importance of ongoing training. The training you received last year may have changed and what was OK to do last year is not OK anymore. 

It is a changing world and we have to keep up or fall behind and falling behind is not a safe option for anyone involved in a collision. 

A strong training culture leads to better repairs, fewer comebacks and safer vehicles. Day 1 of SCNC 2024 in Quebec City. “This is why we do it, because it’s worth it,” says Bill Speed.