Chief Automotive donated $75,000 worth of rivet guns and subscriptions through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) to benefit collision repair educational programs around the country
“Chief has been a supporter of schools all over the world for over 50 years. It has always been a core part of our business to support our future technicians,” says Mike Croker, Director, Product Management for Chief Collision Technology. “With technician shortages being one of the big problem areas shops are dealing with, anything we can do to support them is critical. We have seen time and time again how supporting the schools pays off for shops and technicians. I personally went to a technical high school and college for collision repair, and I remember how vendors supporting the programs made a difference in the future careers of our students. It doesn’t matter if support is on a local level from local distributors, shop owners or other industry companies…or if it’s received at a national level. We need to challenge every stakeholder in the collision repair community to support the schools educating our future workforce.”
The rivet guns donated by Chief will allow students to put their hands on some of the latest technology being used to repair late model vehicles.
“We have seen a huge change in attachment methods on new vehicles,” Croker points out. “Getting students this type of hands-on experience with the tools being used in modern repair methods allows them to be better prepared to handle the same equipment they will use in a collision center. Likewise, the software subscriptions, which are used in our structural 3D measuring systems, provides students with access to the latest vehicle specifications on the market while removing the burden from the schools’ annual budgets.”
Collision education programs are frequently underfunded, limiting instructors’ ability to purchase the tools and equipment needed to effectively train their students. By partnering with the Foundation, Chief Automotive is helping ensure that the next generation of collision repair professionals receive the hands-on experience necessary to graduate with the skills they need to successfully join the industry as entry-level technicians.
“In-kind donations are often mentioned as one of the most relevant ways to help collision programs across the US,” says CREF Director of Marketing and Project Management Amber Ritter. “This donation will truly allow students to learn, practice and hone the important skills that lead to rewarding careers. Equipping them with these rivet guns and also providing subscriptions to help educate them on using these tools will benefit many students, and the Foundation is grateful to Chief Automotive for making that possible.”