Spanesi Americas announced that their Spanesi Interactive Channel will present, “Hiring the Next Generation of Technicians,” on May 19 at 12 p.m. CDT. Brandon Eckenrode of the Collision Repair Education Foundation will join Timothy W. Morgan and Karl Kirschenman of Spanesi Americas to discuss the challenges of hiring technicians within the collision repair industry. Registration for this event is free to all.

“We are struggling to employ and retain employees throughout the collision repair industry,” said Morgan. “Our technician retirement rates have never been higher, with the average age of our technicians increasing to over 41 years old. Until we begin hiring and training to replace our seasoned technicians at a faster pace, our vehicle repair quality, production efficiencies and long-term profitability will continue to suffer.”

Eckenrode and Morgan will examine strategies that collision repair shop owners, managers and hiring professionals can use to attract new talent. With industry professionals recommending engaging students in 7th and 8th grades, attendees will learn how to become more involved in a local school and vocational programs within their local areas. Attendees will also learn what it takes to retain new hires with growth plans that provide inexperienced workers with the incentives to stay with their businesses for the long term.

“Thank you to Spanesi’s continued support of the Collision Repair Education Foundation and our efforts to support the industry’s future professionals,” said Eckenrode. “I look forward to speaking with Tim and Karl about both CREF’s and the industry’s efforts to attract more students to this industry and fully understand the career paths. It will only be through a collaborative effort of the industry coming together to support the high school/college collision programs and encourage industry professionals to get involved with their local schools.”

To attend this special event, attendees can sign up at events.spanesi-americas.com to receive an admission ticket to the webinar. Registrants will have access to the webinar after it is completed.

Collision industry professionals are encouraged to contact Spanesi Americas at (224) 772-6374 or [email protected]m with any questions.