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You are here: Home / News / Crash Champions Recognizes 59 STEP Apprenticeship Graduates in 2026

Crash Champions Recognizes 59 STEP Apprenticeship Graduates in 2026

July 8, 2026 By CollisionWeek Editor

The multi-shop operator says its Department of Labor-certified technician development program now counts nearly 200 active apprentices and an 86% retention rate among graduates.

Crash Champions on July 8 recognized 59 apprentices who graduated in 2026 from its Skilled Technician Education Program (STEP), the company’s Department of Labor-certified apprenticeship for entry-level collision repair technicians.

The graduating class comes as the Chicago-based multi-shop operator works to expand its technician ranks amid an industrywide shortage of skilled labor. In May, the company set a 60-day target to hire 300 body technicians, a push it said would grow its certified technician workforce

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Apprentice Program, Career and Technical Education, Crash Champions, Workforce Development

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