Article Summary
Training events are essential for the collision repair industry because they bring technicians together for hands-on skill development in techniques like dent repair, polishing, and structural evaluation, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge-sharing that ultimately leads to safer and more complete repairs.
- 70 technicians attended Pfaff Autoworks' Efficiency Edge training event in Markham, Ontario, rotating through multiple hands-on repair stations.
- Training stations covered glue-pull dent repair, sanding and polishing, metal finishing, spray-gun fundamentals, and structural evaluation with expert trainers from industry leaders.
- Industry partnerships with organizations like BETAG, Evercoat, RUPES, 3M, SATA, and Flatline provided specialized equipment demonstrations and coaching.
- The event created an informal learning culture where technicians and aspiring industry members could ask questions and explore techniques rarely covered during regular shifts.
- Training events strengthen the collision repair industry by demonstrating that safe, complete repairs depend on technicians' commitment to continuous skill development.
Training events are vital for the health of the collision industry
When you see technicians giving their evenings to learn, improve and help others do the same, you’re reminded of something important: safe, complete repairs don’t happen by accident. They happen because the people in this trade work hard to make them happen.
In October, I visited Pfaff Autoworks to attend its Efficiency Edge training event, that brought about 70 technicians together for hands-on training across multiple repair disciplines, from glue pulling to polishing.
Pfaff Autoworks, for those unfamiliar, is an exceptionally well-equipped, highly respected collision centre in Markham, Ontario, known for handling everything from daily-driver repairs to complex luxury-vehicle work.
For one night, we transformed the shop floor into a multi-station training arena. With the help of trainers, tool manufacturers and industry partners, Collision Repair magazine and the Pfaff team created an open, hands-on workshop where technicians could sharpen the same skills they rely on every day to deliver safe, complete repairs.
The format was simple by design. We set up stations across the shop: glue-pull dent repair, sanding and polishing systems, metal finishing, filler and feather-edge techniques, structural evaluation, spray-gun fundamentals and more.
Trainers from organizations like BETAG, Evercoat, RUPES, 3M, SATA, Flatline and Titanium Tools came prepared to demonstrate, coach and answer whatever questions came their way. Attendees rotated from station to station, testing tools, comparing techniques and digging into the kinds of details they rarely get to explore during a normal shift.
Early in the evening, I noticed a young woman standing just outside one of the groups. She told me she wasn’t a technician — not yet — but she was interested in joining the industry and wanted to see what the work looked like up close. She spent the rest of the night speaking with trainers and technicians, asking smart, direct questions about training paths, tools and what makes a good shop good.
Watching experienced repairers welcome her so naturally reminded me why these events matter: this industry grows because its people share what they know.
The pizza arrived hot — and, to everyone’s genuine delight, very good — and even that turned into an informal learning session. People gathered around the boxes discussing EV repair, calibration requirements and new materials. By the end of the night, I felt the same sense of reassurance I often feel after events like this.
Our industry can be demanding, and our work carries real responsibility. But when you see technicians giving their evenings to learn, improve and help others do the same, you’re reminded of something important: safe, complete repairs don’t happen by accident. They happen because the people in this trade work hard to make them happen.
