The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced that CCC Information Services Inc. (CCC) donated over $6.7 million in software subscriptions to secondary and post-secondary technical schools offering collision repair programs in 2019. Through the support of CREF, CCC’s donation will help future collision repair technicians learn on the same software widely used by the shops where they will soon seek employment. Software subscriptions come at no cost to the students or the schools.
“CCC is proud to support collision repair programs that help students develop their knowledge and skills,” said Mary Jo Prigge, president, Service Operations for CCC. “Training and education are critically important as vehicle technology continues to advance and repairs become increasingly complex. Our tools help collision repairers keep pace with today’s sophisticated vehicles and consumer demand for service.”
The CCC ONE Estimating software package donated to the schools includes digital imaging capabilities and access to tire and recall databases, paintless dent repair guidelines and frame specifications. It also grants access to CCC ONE Touch, CCC’s mobile estimating solution that allows estimates to be written right at the car.
“The Collision Repair Education Foundation is proud to once again partner with CCC Information Services to provide this invaluable opportunity for schools,” said Clark Plucinski, executive director of CREF. “With very limited funding, collision schools are not always able to purchase the latest programs and technologies to teach their students. Now they will have the chance to teach their students on a program that they will encounter after graduation, which will ultimately help make them better entry-level employees.”
CREF’s initiative connects secondary and post-secondary high schools and colleges with software providers, like CCC, to enhance their collision repair education programs. To qualify to receive donated software, schools must complete the Collision Repair School Solutions Survey, available at collisioneducationfoundation.org. Annual completion of the survey is required for subscription renewal.
The information garnered from the Collision Repair School Solutions Survey allows the foundation to track important details about school programs, including key academic indicators and crucial program demands for the new tools and equipment needed to train students for successful careers in today’s technologically advanced collision repair industry.
The survey also enables CREF to better comprehend schools’ evolving capabilities in response to the foundation’s initiatives and local industry involvement with the schools’ collision repair programs, as well as changes within the schools and the communities they serve.
Industry members interested in supporting CREF should contact Brandon Eckenrode, director of development, at (312) 231-0258 or [email protected].
