PREPPING FOR PERFECTION
Andre’s journey to finding his groove Unsure of what to do at the end of high school, Andre Figueiredo decided to take a year off to explore his options. At first, he enjoyed working in construction, but the bitter cold was something he did not want to endure once winter came around. One day, Andre […]
REV IT UP
Buckle in—it’s about to get thrilling BY DARRYL SIMMONS It would be easy to throw in the towel right now. A year deep in this global crisis, many are exhausted. They’ve been exhausted. But why on Earth would anyone in Canada’s automotive trade want to? There has never been a more exciting time to be […]
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 […]
Tropicana’s Newest Graduates
EMPLOYMENT CENTRE’S FRESH FACES FOR THE INDUSTRY BY SAM HOUPT The auto body and collision damage repair training program is in its 10th operating year at Tropicana Employment Centre as current students gear up to start their placements. Since 2010, the program has invited Centennial College students to take a pre-apprenticeship Level 1 class to […]
Regal Repairer: How Tristan Johnson-England blends beauty pageants with auto repair
When Tristan Johnson-England was 10 years old, she fell in love with automotive painting and repair. Once old enough, she headed to Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Regina to finally study collision repair, where she later completed the first and second levels of her work placement. But auto repair isn’t Tristan’s only passion — she’s also a […]
STANDING TALL: A bright future awaits those who dare to dream
BY LINDSEY COOKE If there is one thing that I’ve learned over the year I have spent writing for Bodyworx Professional, it is that if you’re passionate about something, no one can take it away from you. Plenty of up-and-coming repairers in training have been told not to pursue a career in the trades. “Go […]
Primed & Ready
AUTO PAINTING AMBITIONS ACHIEVED BY JORDAN ARSENEAULT Amanda Greke has never been one to back down from adversity. Like many women in maledominated professions, Amanda’s journey to becoming an automotive painter didn’t come without its bumps in the road. “When I first started my career it was a bit of a challenge to gain respect […]
SO YOU WANT TO BE A PAINTER?
Five tips on how to succeed as an automotive painter BY JOSH DOBSON OK, you’ve been sweeping the shop for about a year now. You’ve seen what everybody does around the shop and know what you want to do for a career. You want to be a painter. You want to make vehicles shine. Well, […]
CHANGE IS FAST AND FURIOUS
Take control of your professional destiny with the 2019 Training Directory BY CINDY MACDONALD Not long ago, electric vehicles were curiosities and self-driving cars were the stuff of science fiction. But the pace of change in the modern automotive world is furious. Repair technicians, estimators and even customer service personnel must keep up with changing […]
Thinking Outside The Box
WORKING TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE BY JORDAN ARSENEAULT Michele Morrison’s work as a recycler doesn’t end when she leaves the office. “My family considers me a little obsessed with recycling,” said Morrison. “I’m always looking for environmentally responsible options for disposing of materials around our home.” Morrison, who began working for SGI in 1997, became […]
