SAN DIEGO, CA — Mitchell International announced the enrollment of a second class of Junior Automotive Technicians in the Collision Repair Training Course program, following a successful pilot. The program is offered, free of charge, to homeless, or otherwise disadvantaged, youth to learn both applied academic and practical workplace skills based on a modified version of the ASE Program Certification Standards curriculum.
Classes are held 2 hours a day, for 16 weeks, at the Centre City/Skills Center Automotive Facility at City College. The Training Course is co-sponsored by the Centers for Education & Technology, the San Diego Workforce Partnership, the Youth One-Stop Career Center, the San Diego County Department of Education and the Monarch Schools for at-risk youth.
In addition to sponsoring the program, Mitchell International polled its body-shop contacts in the San Diego area to find internship placements for all the pilot program’s graduates to provide them the opportunity to demonstrate and hone their skills in a real-world environment while building their resumes.
“This program is a great example of what can happen when solution providers partner with their customer base to assist the industry as a whole,” said Marc Brungger, VP – Collision Sales. “Mitchell used its contacts within the body shop industry and industry associations to help locate teachers, coordinate the construction of a valid certification program, and otherwise help ensure this program would truly help bring qualified new professionals into the industry. Naturally, the industry stepped up and did its part.”
Graduation ceremonies for the pilot class were held on January 24th. Jim Lindner, Mitchell International Chairman and CEO, delivered the keynote address.
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