Faculty successfully complete nationwide collision repair industry training and recognition program
October 16, 2019 – Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Auto Body shops in Regina and Saskatoon are the first and only post-secondary shops in Canada to receive I-CAR Gold Class certification. I-CAR Canada is a training and recognition program aimed at skills updating for the collision repair industry.
“This is a significant achievement,” notes Andrew Shepherd, executive director of I-CAR Canada. “Canada has a world-leading apprenticeship system feeding the collision repair industry – and Saskatchewan Polytechnic has demonstrated its leadership in that elite group. “
For a shop to receive I-CAR Gold Class certification, all employees directly involved in vehicle repair need to train through I-CAR and multiple team members must achieve Platinum status. For Sask Polytech to reach this status, faculty had to successfully complete I-CAR’s stringent training requirements. I-CAR Gold Class is a requirement for many industry certification programs and will be recognized within SGI’s accreditation requirements starting in 2021.
Faculty are incorporating I-CAR methods and training into the Auto Body Technician program curriculum. When Auto Body Technician certificate students and Motor Vehicle Body Repairer (Metal and Paint) apprentices complete their training at Sask Polytech they will be well on their way to receiving I-CAR certification, which will allow them to work at an I-CAR recognized shop.
“This certification is a testament to the excellent Auto Body Technician program and our outstanding faculty at Sask Polytech,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech president and CEO. “The I-CAR Gold Class recognition is putting our students and apprentices ahead of the curve to continue training on SGI Salvage vehicles in an I-CAR Gold Class shop.”
Since 2002, Auto Body Technician certificate students and Motor Vehicle Body Repairer (Metal and Paint) apprentices have trained by repairing SGI Salvage total-loss vehicles. By using total-loss vehicles from SGI, students get to work on current model vehicles that the industry repairs on a daily basis. Students enter the workforce with relevant training, which benefits them and their future employers.
In the fall of 2018 Sask Polytech was recognized as a Certified Collision Care Provider. Certified Collision Care manages the collision repair facility OEM certification programs for Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Nissan and Kia in Canada.
Through Sask Polytech’s partnership with SGI, recognition as a Certified Collision Care Provider and I-CAR Gold Class shop status, Auto Body Technician certificate students and Motor Vehicle Body Repairer (Metal and Paint) apprentices are receiving some of the best Auto Body training in Canada.
Sask Polytech offers a one-year certificate and provides the in-school portion of Motor Vehicle Body Repairer (Metal and Paint) apprenticeship training for the Auto Body Technician programs. Motor Vehicle Body Repairer apprentices are registered with the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC), which oversees the province’s apprenticeship training and certification system. Saskatchewan Polytechnic is the SATCC’s primary apprenticeship training provider. The programs provide students with a solid foundation in the knowledge and skills required to work in motor vehicle body repair and refinishing.
About I-CAR Canada: I-CAR Canada is a collision repair skills training and recognition program run by the Automotive Industries Association of Canada. I-CAR recognition is a requirement for most OE and public collision repair programs.
About Saskatchewan Polytechnic: Saskatchewan Polytechnic serves students through applied learning opportunities on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 Territories and the homeland of the Métis. Learning takes place at campuses in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon and through extensive distance education opportunities. Programs serve every economic and public service sector. As a polytechnic, the organization provides the depth of learning appropriate to employer and student need, including certificate, diploma and degree programs, and apprenticeship training. Saskatchewan Polytechnic engages in applied research, drawing on faculty expertise to support innovation by employers, and providing students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills.