Train now—the world won’t wait for you to catch up
By Darryl Simmons
When was the last time you learned something at work? If your answer isn’t today, something is wrong. Ask anyone that’s spent a day working in the automotive aftermarket and they’ll tell you that this industry holds a pace akin to the speed of light. Whether you’re a collision repair manager, refinisher, technician, apprentice, aspects of the job are changing everyday. To succeed, you must be on board.
When we published our first Training Directory in 2018, the skills shortage was already a persistent problem. Toss in a never-ending stream of new OEM-specific knowledge, the trials and tribulations of working with new technology-enabled systems or a near-two-year pandemic, and we’re in an even more dire situation.
I could sit here and paste statistics about the average age of collision repair technicians, the lack of ADAS awareness, the longevity of the OEM certification equation and the lot—but you’ll find those in the following pages. What I will say here is that the time to learn is now.
Now, all this tough talk is not to say that our industry is lacking by any means. In fact, it’s just the opposite. The fastpaced nature of this industry also translates to our innovation— and the events of the last two years are ample proof of that. Between the pages of this magazine lay 700+ courses in the areas of apprenticeship, aluminum repair, ADAS calibration, paint and refinish technique, measurement, alignment, welding— and so much more. In other words: no matter your role in the industry, you will learn something if you take the advice between these pages.
Even better, with our new Collision Community website, you can use your newfound skills to secure a top-notch job in your area of expertise. Simply visit collisioncommunity.com and view dozens of job postings across Canada in the realms of management, body and paint, parts coordination, jobber opportunities and more. New jobs are posted every day. Despite the slow start, this decade will be roaring. The market is bursting with opportunity—go out and grab it.
