Operative Talent is turning up the heat on its efforts to raise awareness for careers in the automotive industry by offering a chance to win a custom 1969 Camaro in its “Drive for Talent” fundraiser taking place now through November. The fundraiser, which seeks to raise $500,000, is a collaboration between the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), BASF and KTL Restoration. Additional partners include Petty’s Family Foundation, Autoshop Solutions, Auto Metal Direct, and In the Garage Media.
Operative Talent takes a multi-pronged approach to addressing the industry’s need for more technicians, estimators and other automotive industry professionals by changing the public’s perception of what a modern career in automotive looks like today.
Raffle tickets for a chance to win “Talent,” a 1969 custom Camaro built by KTL Restorations and with assistance from local students and more than 60 partnering companies, can be purchased here. The funds raised from raffle ticket purchases and donations will benefit the entire collision industry through a national awareness campaign that will direct people to the newly-developed CollisionCareers.com website built by I-CAR to promote collision repair careers.
“It’s time to do something about the automotive tech labor shortage, and that begins with changing how the public sees the auto collision repair industry,” said Brandon Eckenrode, executive director of CREF. “For change to happen, the entire industry needs to support our industry’s future by getting behind our efforts with Operative Talent. The success of the ‘Drive for Talent’ fundraiser relies on everyone getting involved and championing the endeavor. By helping raise the funds needed to launch an awareness campaign, we can better showcase careers in the collision repair industry and ensure it has a bright future.”
CREF, BASF and KTL Restorations are also planning a literal “drive’’ for talent that includes take a cross-country cruise during spring 2024 that will end in Danville, Va., where KTL Restorations is located and the 1969 Camaro is being built.
A “drive” thermometer in the shape of a U.S. map will showcase the funding progression between now and November, and as more raffle tickets are sold, it will push the starting line of the drive further and further west. Stops along the cross-country drive will provide an opportunity to visit collision school programs, check in with talent build partners and more. A West Coast starting line will mean the $500,000 goal has been met, which will fund the broader public awareness campaign.
“The success of this fundraiser will be completely determined by the industry’s reaction and support, and it’s impressive to see so many organizations that are taking off their corporate hats and coming together to raise funds in order to educate the general public on opportunities that exist within the industry,” Eckenrode said.
To kickstart the “Drive for Talent”, several national MSOs, including Driven Brands, CollisionRight, Gerber Collision & Glass and Caliber Collision, will be engaging in a side competition to see which company can sell the most raffle tickets among their staff.
For more information, visit OperativeTalent.com.
