The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced that five collision school training programs will receive Benchmark Grants worth a combined $11,000. The OEM Collision Repair Roundtable’s donation of $6,000 created three $2,000 grants, while Mopar’s $5,000 contribution will be equally divided between two technical education programs. Eligibility for these awards was achieved by applying for CREF’s 2020 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grant.

“The OEM Collision Repair Roundtable greatly appreciates the important work being done by the Collision Repair Education Foundation and collision repair schools around the country to prepare the next generation of collision technicians,” said Rossana Alvarez, president of the OEM Collision Repair Roundtable. “We’re glad to be able to help this year’s grant recipients and their students.”

Added Mopar Collision Portfolio Senior Manager Tino Sida, “Mopar is pleased to help provide essential funding for deserving Collision Education Programs such as Bridgerland Technical College and GST BOCES Coopers Education Center. We look forward to continuing to support CREF in their mission to train, develop and incorporate productive entry-level employees into the collision industry.”

The OEM Roundtable awarded $2,000 grants to:

• Dos Palos High School (Dos Palos, Calif.)
• EHOVE Career Center (Milan, Ohio)
• Tidewater Community College (Chesapeake, Va.)

Mopar awarded $2,500 grants to:

• Bridgerland Technical College (Logan, Utah)
• GST BOCES Coopers Education Center (Painted Post, N.Y.)

The Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grants recognize schools that excel at educating students in collision repair, but due to strained school budgets, the programs require additional financial assistance. Recipient schools use these funds to provide the tools, equipment and supplies necessary to enhance their students’ learning experience and elevate the caliber of their graduates, ensuring that graduates are prepared to successfully enter the workforce upon graduation. Applications for the 2021 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grants will be available online in March 2021.

Industry members interested in supporting CREF’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, director of development, at (312) 231-0258 or [email protected]. Monetary donations can be made online.