Teaching the next generation of collision repair specialists

Today we're speaking with Donnie Smith, a collision repair instructor at Butler Community College whose main campus is in El Dorado, KS.  The two-year Butler Collision Repair program prepares students for a successful career in the collision repair industry. To learn more about the program, check out Donnie's blog.

Jen: Can you tell us about how the speed of change in the collision repair industry has impacted training?

Donnie: There is more of a focus now on teaching students to be lifelong learners.  We used to concentrate mainly on methods, but these now can become obsolete before the students finish the program. With all the different makes and models you can't just teach them how to work with a specific vehicle anymore. Instead we teach the students general repair procedures and how to find correct information.

I also think safety is a bigger concern today, both for the consumer and for the repair technicians. If the vehicle isn't restored to its original safety levels it could lead to injuries or death. Industry changes can happen so fast it can be hard for shops to keep up, but with the different materials and metals being used, as well as the voltage in hybrid vehicles and additional airbags repairing a vehicle can be dangerous unless you know what you're dealing with. We teach our students the fundamentals and then show them how to figure out the specific procedures before repairing a vehicle.

We use I-CAR curriculum in the program so students graduate with I-CAR credits.  This puts them in a good position with the shops, where they will likely continue with their I-CAR training.

Jen: Can you comment on using ASA ethics to prepare students for their professional roles?

Donnie:  We're an educational member of the ASA, which I think is very important today. I always ask shops what they look for when they're hiring new employees and just about everyone is looking for an honest employee with a good attitude. If the new hires are honest, dependable and have a good work ethic the shops will often work on their skills on the job.

I use the ASA ethics to teach my students that the customers expect and deserve to be treated fairly and that if you do treat them well they're going to come back. The students understand but I think sometimes it's a battle. The customer ethics is pretty clear; we talk about some of their experiences in stores and that part of the ASA ethics they really get. In schools, however, students are often given too much freedom so the dependability portion they have trouble with.

Jen: What changes have you seen in the collision repair industry in the last year that are interesting or exciting?

Donnie: The exciting thing about this industry is that it seems like there's something changing every day--so much so that it can be hard to keep up. The great thing about this is that there's always something new to learn; there's no getting bored in this industry. It keeps the interest. There are also more high-tech students coming into the industry these days.

Also, all the different metals (carbon fiber, aluminum, magnesium) can really change the way a shop does business.  Shops really have to look at their repair processes. One of the biggest challenges is just making sure the OEM procedures are followed. With a lot of the new materials the metal will be thicker or thiner in areas so finding the crush zone can be harder, as can simply working with the materials. A lot of the vehicles now have less open space, all the pieces fit together very tightly which can be a challenge.

The other result of the rapid rate of change in the industry is that we'll be moving more in the direction of the health industry, with technicians specializing in one area.  We're going to see a lot more specialized training in the future, which can change the student's perception of the career. Before, some students would get bored, but that won't happen now. If you're a lifelong learner this is the career for you, and Butler's Collision Repair program will prepare you for a successful and exciting career!