As part of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey’s (AASP/NJ) annual meeting held Oct. 19 at Gran Centurions in Clark, N.J., Patrick Crome, a Mercer County Vocational School student employed by Compact Kars (Clarksburg), was named the recipient of the 2022 Russ Robson Scholarship Award.
“Russ was a big supporter of training and he taught part-time at the Mercer County Vocational School, where the recipient of the Russ Robson Scholarship Award is a student,” said Tom Elder (Compact Kars), treasurer of the AASP/NJ. “Patrick came to us as someone interested in learning about our industry, and he does a great job working in our shop.”
Receiving the scholarship award was “pretty special” to Crome. The up-and-coming technician plans to continue his training and is committed to building a career in collision repair. As the industry has been facing a technician shortage nationwide, young people coming into the fold is something that must be encouraged and celebrated as the association did that night.
“There is not one person in this room who can say that every position in their shop is filled by someone who is good and qualified,” Elder said. “We have to look wherever we can to find someone and train them.”
For more information about AASP/NJ, visit aaspnj.org.
