The I-CAR Education Foundation has provided 1,000 Cintas technician shirts to automotive collision students nationwide through the support of Bar’s Leaks & Rislone, CARQUEST, CARSTAR, Craftsman, Esurance and Mopar. Six hundred of the technician shirts were distributed to 30 schools that applied for the foundation’s 2009 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant: 175 will be distributed to all of the auto body and refinishing students competing at the 2010 national SkillsUSA competition this June in Kansas City, and the remaining shirts will be distributed to other schools that have applied for recent grants and scholarships.
Lexington/Richland (S.C.) School District Director of Career and Technology Don Lawrimore said, “The donation of the technician shirts to our auto collision repair technology class was a wonderful thing for students. It’s both a recognition of their importance and a boost to their pride in the work they perform. These uniforms will give the students a greater realization of how critical it is to be both professional and knowledgeable in their craft.”
Dr. Michael A. Lanser, Ed. D., president, Lakeshore Technical College of Cleveland, Wis., noted, “I’m impressed with how professional our students look wearing the Education Foundation’s technician shirts. I can see the pride in their faces and know this carries through into their work. I appreciate the Education Foundation’s support of Lakeshore Technical College’s Auto Collision program through this donation. It helps improve the image of both the program and the profession.”
Education Foundation Executive Director Scott Kruger added, “The response to these technician shirts has been overwhelming not only from the students but also from school officials and instructors on how the students obtained a new sense of pride by wearing the shirts around the schools. It is through Bar’s Leaks & Rislone, CARQUEST, CARSTAR, Craftsman, Esurance and Mopar’s support that we were able to expand the project and supply even more students with the technician shirts.”
Through the sponsorship of AutoBody Alliance, Col-Met, Bar’s Leaks & Rislone and Zurich North America, the foundation piloted the technician shirt program during NACE 2009 and was able to provide 500 shirts to attending students and instructors. The foundation is planning on providing sponsored technician shirts to instructors, students, and attendees of NACE and SEMA 2010.
More information:
Industry members interested in sponsoring future runs of the technician shirts should contact Education Foundation Associate Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at [email protected].
