It is no secret the automotive and collision repair industry depends on expendable products. From the staff working in the front office to the body technicians and painters in the shop, supplies are being used up daily. But when we focus on the shops and the obstacles they are facing today, especially with consideration to budget and time constraints, it is quickly understood that there is hardly room for waste in this industry.
With this in mind, and shifting the focus to Collision Repair Programs, it is difficult to find extra products or donations to use for additional training. Technical schools are vital to the collision repair industry but the challenges they face, like every teacher faces in every classroom, is receiving additional funding for having extra tools and supplies for their students to learn and practice more. What does this mean for students coming into the industry, where their only method to learn these skills is through hands-on training?
FinishMaster recognizes this as an opportunity to help give back to the industry. Our team partners with local technical schools nationwide and the Collision Repair Education Foundation to help reduce the obstacles schools may be up against. CREF’s mission is to support collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. With their ultimate vision being to have a collision industry with a sufficient number of qualified, properly trained, and immediately productive team members to meet current and future industry needs.
Through this close partnership in sharing similar values with CREF, FinishMaster teams across the US have been able to build close relationships with local tech schools and instructors. The local Indianapolis team has been able to connect with an instructor, Dean Cain, at Lincoln College of Technology to help donate products to support his classroom.
The supplies used in my classroom are, naturally, a consumable item and are not cheap to get. Understandably and as a result, we have a specific budget to work with for properly stocking our classrooms. Because of that, we are always happy to accept donations and with FinishMaster’s recent product donation, my students have the ability to gain more hands-on experience in the classroom and to continue growing their skillsets with my guidance. Without product donations, each student would be limited in using products in the classroom.
– Dean Cain; Instructor, Lincoln College of Technology
Last year at the 2021 Hood Master Challenge, FinishMaster found a creative way to give back to the industry and decided to host a fundraiser at the event, where all funds raised went towards a grant given to CREF. Overall, $5,000 was raised at the event to help support collision repair programs who have partnered with CREF.
The opportunities are endless to give back and can go beyond technical schools, as well. Local market teams have built strong relationships and partnerships with body shops and through that, they identify additional opportunities to help give back. Earlier this summer, our team partnered with Axalta to help donate products to a couple of shops in Clawson, Michigan who were supporting a project to help a Scout from Troop 1615 earn his Eagle Rank. Through these donations, the shops were able to repair and refinish twenty-two public benches for Clawson’s downtown area and help the Scout achieve the highest rank in scouting.
Through FinishMaster’s strong customer partnerships and recognizing the needs within the collision repair industry, our team is dedicated to giving back. FinishMaster is committed to helping the industry evolve and to building stronger communities.
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