HIP, HIP, HUZZAH!
Three Cheers for the World Skills Competitors BY DARRYL SIMMONS If you’ve missed our digital coverage of the 2019 WorldSkills competition in Russia— prepare to be blown away. The event was an amazing demonstration of auto repair and refinishing techniques. Beyond the excitement, the event received an immense amount of coverage in the popular press. […]
BODYWORK BEYOND BORDERS
CATCHING UP WITH THE CANADIAN REPAIRERS IN KAZAN, RUSSIA BY ALLISON ROGERS With more than 150,000 spectators, 1,700 competitors and 63 represented countries, this year’s ‘Olympics of the Trades’ certainly did not fall short of excitement. Students across the globe fought hard to strike gold in the semi-annual WorldSkills competition. Seven Canadian competitors took to […]
CHROMATIC SHIFT
BASF PRESENTS 2019-2020’S AUTOMOTIVE COLOUR TRENDS BY ALLISON ROGERS BASF’s Colour Design team has presented its new colours and colour concepts for the automotive industry. The ninth edition of the global Automotive Color Trends is characterized by the commitment to actively shaping the future and shows what colours will meet the zeitgeist of tomorrow. While […]
BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
BCIT’S SCHOOL OF TRANSPORTATION OFFERS SEVERAL ROADS TO BECOMING A REPAIRER The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is one of British Columbia’s largest post-secondary institutions, with more than 48,000 students enrolled annually. First established in 1964, the school now boasts five main campuses and a number of satellite locations around the province. Located at […]
AI APP ESTIMATOR
MEET GRETA CUTULENCO, THE 28-YEAR-OLD CEO USING AI TO CHANGE THE INDUSTRY Acerta Analytical Solutions is taking a different approach to artificial intelligence. The Kitchener-based company uses AI to create testing algorithms from manufacturer-collected data to scan and pinpoint any software glitches in parts–before they roll off the assembly line. The process strives to combat […]
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
THE ROLE OF AN INSTRUCTOR BY BEN HART Students across the country attend post-secondary technical training through a pre-employment (direct entry) course or an apprenticeship program. I instruct autobody tech apprentices as they come for their four periods (blocks/levels) of training. My classes run Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., but I […]
FRESHLY SQUEEZED REPAIRERS
TROPICANA’S LATEST GRADUATES GET A HEAD START ON A BRIGHT FUTURE BY SAM HOUPT There are a number of ways to enter the field of automotive trades. You could be born into it through a family business, maybe stumble into the industry by accident, or, in Sasha Schlatter’s case, you can reach out and grab […]
ALL THE FIXINGS
THE DOORS TO FIX AUTO’S NEW TRAINING FACILITY HAVE OPENED Just hours after announcing Fix Auto Network had become Canada’s largest repair network, the company officially opened its multi-faceted training facility. Fix Auto president Steve Leal officially opened Fix University on September 30 in Milton, Ontario. The cutting-edge facility will specialize in training network personnel […]
Onwards and Upwards
Possible First Steps HIGH SCHOOL CO-OP A part-time placement opportunity is usually offered to high school students wanting to learn about a career in autobody repair, automotive paint and refinishing and damage analysis. At the programs, students are assigned mentors to teach them, and they perform light duties during their assigned work term. This is […]
’ROUND THE WORLD REFINISHERS
BASF’S PASSION FOR EDUCATION BRINGS OPPORTUNITY TO JAPANESE TECH STUDENTS This summer, young automotive refinishing students from Nagoya, Japan’s Toyota Technical College were given an opportunity to perfect their refinishing skills in a special immersion-style study program. Approximately 40 students from Toyota Technical College (TTCN) in Nagoya, Japan attended Okanagan College in Kelowna to work […]
