Toronto, Ontario — I-CAR’s United States branch has been designated as a Registered Apprenticeship Hub as well as an Apprenticeship Building America grant by the United States Department of Labor under its Investing in America Initiative.
The fund includes more than seven million to support the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP) in high-demand fields, such as the automotive collision repair industry.
As noted by I-CAR in a recent press release, with this recognition, “over the four-year grant period, I-CAR will strengthen educational programs for shops and their technicians by establishing new RAPs and engaging repair centres on their own or in collaboration with I-CAR Academy Schools.”
Additionally, I-CAR further notes that “this funding will help I-CAR develop an ecosystem for RAPs within the automotive collision repair industry, elevating collision repair to the level of standardization as other trades.”
Participating employers, such as repair centres with the Gold Class designation and those utilizing I-CAR Academy will implement these RAPS.
John Van Alstyne, President and CEO at I-CAR commented that “we are honoured to receive this generous funding from the Department of Labor. This investment is a pivotal step toward addressing the critical skill shortage in the collision repair industry, placing us on the same playing field as other trade industries. We are not only improving the quality and safety of auto repairs but also strengthening the overall economic health of our industry. We look forward to the positive impact this will have on technicians, repair shops and consumers alike.”
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