Students and instructors registered through the SEMA Show’s school program have been offered free collision repair classes at this year’s event.
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists, a U.S. trade association representing repair businesses, has also added seats across its Repairer Driven Education program following strong demand.
The classes run Nov. 3 to 5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The SEMA Show, an automotive aftermarket trade event, runs Nov. 3 to 6.
Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS, said the free access gives students a chance to learn alongside experienced repairers and industry leaders.
“We want these young entrants in the automotive industry to get a deeper look at the businesses, technologies, challenges and opportunities that define it,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post.
The education program includes 19 sessions. Topics include charging correctly for mechanical work, using estimating information and bringing mechanical and glass services into a bodyshop.
Mike Anderson of Collision Advice will lead a session on mechanical labour on Nov. 3. A Nov. 4 class, led by Danny Gredinberg of the Database Enhancement Gateway and repairer Andrew Batenhorst, will cover estimating information.
The OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit on Nov. 5 will include presentations on vehicle technology, sensors and calibration, with participants from General Motors, Ford and Rivian.
Attendees who previously found a class sold out can return to the Registration Resource Center to check availability and update their bookings.
“So the good news is, we've added capacity across all of our SCRS sessions!” Schulenburg wrote.
