The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced that more than 1,000 students have registered for its first three Spring Career Fairs.

The career fairs will take place in Tampa, Fla., Miami and San Antonio. The first is scheduled for Feb. 14 at Hillsborough Community College near Tampa.

“This is the third year for our Spring Career Fair schedule and students continue to respond to the events in record numbers,” CREF Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode said. “The career fairs are key components of the foundation’s mission to support collision repair educational programs, schools and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities.”

For 2018, CREF is partnering with the TechForce Foundation and S/P2 and expanding the career fairs to “transportation students.” Through these partnerships, the events will bring together collision, auto service, heavy-duty and diesel students and will help ensure that attending students have resumes ready for distribution to the participating employers.

CREF also said it will play a more active role in facilitating onsite interviews and employment-related presentations and ensuring the students are well prepared for meeting company representatives.

Employers at collision repair facilities, insurance companies and suppliers will have the opportunity during the career fair to take employment applications and interview potential new employees who have participated in collision repair and automotive mechanical repair training programs.

Here’s the current spring 2018 schedule:

• Feb. 14 – Tampa/Orlando, Fla., Hillsborough Community College
• Feb. 16 – Miami, Robert Morgan Education Center & Technical College
• March 1 – San Antonio, Judson High School
• March 16 – Los Angeles, SEMA headquarters
• April 6 – Chicago, Tech-Cor
• April 7 – Phoenix, LKQ
• April 13 – Denver, Manheim
• April 18-19 – Greensboro, N.C., North Carolina SkillsUSA State Competition
• April 24 – Atlanta, Maxwell Technical High School
• April 26 – Boston, Assabet Valley Technical High School
• May 16 – Nashville
• Dates and locations TBD – Dallas, Houston, Nashville

Companies interested in participating in the events can contact Eckenrode at (847) 463-5244.

Locations and dates for the fall 2018 career fairs will be announced this summer.