Everything You Need to Know about Collision Repair Education
Have you ever stopped to ask what qualifications your auto body repair technician has? Because just like a doctor or a lawyer, auto body technicians are trained and can take a number of certifications to improve their skills and demonstrate their abilities. Unfortunately, not every auto body technician has the necessary qualification or keeps up with industry trends through regular certification. That’s why it is important to find technicians who have the kind of up-to-date certifications we outline below. Here’s everything you need to know about collision repair education and how you can make sure you find someone who knows what they are doing.
The Basic Educational Requirements
Like with most jobs, a high school diploma is the absolute minimum to be able to become an auto body technician. For those who want to take things further, there are many colleges and technical schools that run two-year degree programs related to automotive repair. These often aren’t required, but they can be a great way to get a head start going into the industry. Once hired, there is a huge amount of on the job training. After all, there is only so much that a classroom can teach you. There isn’t an industry standard, however, which means the training at some auto body centers can be a lot better than others.
As well as on-the-job training, auto body technicians can also complete training in their home time.
Automotive Service Excellence
The closest thing the automotive repair industry has to a unified standard is the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Technicians can take many different courses and levels of certification, with each qualifying them in a different area of auto body repair. Seeing ASE certificates hanging on walls is always a good sign if you’re a customer.
I-CAR
I-CAR is another industry body that provides a wealth of classes, courses, and certifications for auto body repair professionals. These are often considered the gold standard when it comes to auto body certifications and dealing with a certified I-CAR technician should put your mind at ease.
Certifications From Manufacturers
Many vehicle manufacturers provide their own certifications which show that a technician is skilled enough and qualified to repair their brand of car. If you take your car to a collision repair center that specializes in a particular automobile make, expect to see certifications from the manufacturer on show. Just because a technician doesn’t have the manufacturer certification, however, does not mean that they aren’t able to repair your car.
If you want to work with highly knowledgeable, well trained and certified auto body technicians, bring your car into Chaney’s Collision Centers. All of our staff are well trained and will provide the best repair and customer service around. Get in touch today to find out more.