LOCAL NEWS
Collision Repair Education Foundation Urges AASP/NJ Members to Help Area Schools As the industry heads into summer, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is urging shops in New Jersey and beyond to assist it in improving vocational school auto body repair programs before the start of the next school year. CREF is calling on collision repair facilities to provide help to their area schools through the following activities: • Donating scrap part and carts • Sponsoring new Cintas work uniforms for the students • Exploring volunteer projects that can be conducted over the summer to help schools • Donating supplies for classroom/lab furniture upgrades, including painting the collision program walls, sponsoring newly epoxied floors for the programs, providing new tables/chairs/equipment, etc. • Volunteering as a guest speaker (virtually or in person where allowed) for the students to talk about the industry and career opportunities The need for this kind of industry support is critical as school programs continue to face financial and logistical obstacles as a result of COVID-19. “The upcoming summer break with schools is an ideal time to possibly do some projects that are best done when the students are not there,” Brandon Eckenrode, CREF’s director of operations, observes. “These schools need support, especially now as they clearly watch their program budgets. A body shop class obviously costs a lot more than a math class to run. If we can help make these programs look more attractive to work in, it will help with recruitments.” CREF has identified the following schools within the AASP/NJ region that require assistance: • Salem County Career & Technical High School (Pilesgrove, NJ) • Hunterdon County PolyTech (Flemington, NJ) • Bergen County Tech Ed./Paramus (Paramus, NJ) • Gloucester County Institute of Technology (Sewell, NJ) • Passaic County Technical Institute (Wayne, NJ) • Swenson Arts & Technology High School (Philadelphia, PA) • The Workshop School (Philadelphia, PA) • Bucks County Technical High School (Fairless Hills, PA) • Reading Muhlenburg Career & Technology Center (Reading, PA) • Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center (Westbury, NY) • Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School (Bethlehem, PA) • Thomas A. Edison High School (Philadelphia, PA) • Madison-Oneida BOCES (Verona, NY) • Rockland County BOCES (West Nyack, NY) 30 | New Jersey Automotive | May 2021
A before-and-after view of how CREF uniform sponsorship improves the look and atmosphere of a vocational school program
In related news, CREF – which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year – has remained active over the past several months despite the pandemic. In addition to hosting a Winter Virtual Golf Fundraiser last November, it coordinated a special auction item with Jay Leno, who offered a tour of his private garage to the winner. Additionally, the Foundation has received increased monetary support from various insurers in recent months. Last February, CREF began reaching out to vocational schools across the country to create a student résumé database. Schools are contacted every three weeks to either participate in the program or update/add to their existing résumé lists. CREF is also in conversations with the American School Counselor Foundation (ASCA) to provide up-to-date information about industry-specific opportunities and career paths. In addition to supporting the school listed above, AASP/ NJ members are always encouraged to get involved in their local school Advisory Boards and connect with their local collision repair programs as often as possible. “Understandably, instructors don’t want to just hear from local businesses that say, ‘Bring me your best students’ when their students are about to graduate. They want to see a long-term, ongoing relationship. When the people running these schools see a line of businesses out their door saying they are waiting for their students, it’s a lot more difficult for them to say, ‘Let’s close this program.’” For more information on CREF and/or to get involved with any of the area schools listed in this announcement, please contact Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon. Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org or (312) 231-0258.
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