ACR Program - Fast Track

Overview:

Cerritos College was approached by several local area body shops and industry organizations to develop and implement a technician-training program with a quick turn-around for entry-level individuals currently employed in local body shops.  The profound lack of skilled technicians in the auto collision repair industry has created an opportunity for Cerritos College and the Auto Collision Repair Industry to meet this crisis with a Fast Track technician-training program described below. 

 The program includes collision repair shops partnering with the college to train their existing entry-level employees (porters, parts drivers, detailers etc.) with narrowly focused, technical skills on a 4-8 hour per week schedule.  Partnering shops promote these employees as full-time helpers and apprentices to work daily with skilled journeymen technicians and painters.  Shops can more successfully back-fill the entry-level positions vacated by these new apprentices than they can hire new and unknown individuals for the training program.  This creates a much-needed continuous flow of new individuals into their workforce.

The shops indicate to the instructor their chosen method of performing specific tasks and the specific tools and materials they expect their apprentice to use properly, and the instructor implements that training during their weekly class.  The apprentice works daily with their “Mentor” to polish off their newly acquired skills.  With each class, apprentices return to the shop with marketable hands-on skills.  Students completing the nine-course Fast-Track program will be able to complete additional needed training by enrolling in other Auto Collision Repair courses.

Proposed Delivery Schedule - Annual Startup in January each year:

Each class is 4 hours per week, 9 weeks for 36 hours of instruction. (Summer is 4.5 hrs per week for 8 weeks for each class totaling 36 hours each)

                 AB 50A, 50B, 50C:  Body Tech Apprentice Classes

                 AB 60A, 60B, 60C:  Painter Apprentice Classes

                 AB 80A, 80B, 80C:  Office Assistant Classes

Program Cost:

With over two years in development, each of these courses has gone through the curriculum approval process on campus and has received approval for scheduling it's first offering in January 2002.  With the successful completion of the first round of 9 courses, the 2nd track of Fast-Track courses began in January 2003.  The State of California will pick up the majority of the costs for local students registering for classes.  The cost for these classes started for as little as $11 per unit plus a modest lab fee.  Each 36 hour module is 1.0 unit of instruction.  

This extremely reduced cost does not provide a budget for needed power and hand tools and specialty materials for each course.  Sponsoring shops should plan on providing these to the students they sponsor.  Specific tool lists available upon request.  Some shops create added motivation for students to finish their certification program by signing over the tools to the graduates after they have worked for the shop for a specific period of time.  (e.g. 12 to 24 months)

 Proposed Timeline for Implementation:

• Curriculum Committee course approval February 2001.  Head-start for Fast-Track training embedded into AB 51 class August 2001.  Official Fast Track Courses started Spring 2002 Startup Group #1 (January 7, 2002).

• Successful introduction in Spring 2003 for Startup Group #2 (January 2003)

• Scheduled Startup for Group #3 in January 2004.

 Proposed Initial Industry Partners

Below are listed the initial body shops and repair organizations that have expressed interest in the continued development and deployment of the Fast-Track technician training program at Cerritos College.

Auto Nation

o       Lexus of Cerritos (formerly Lew Webb Group)

o       House of Imports – Mercedes Benz

L’Monty Body Shop (2 shop locations)

Caliber Collision Centers (Multiple Shop Locations in Texas and So. Calif.)

M2 Collision Centers (Multiple Shop Locations in So. Calif. And Arizona)

Hi-Tech Auto Collision (8 Shop Locations in Southern California)

Superior Auto Centers (3 local body and paint shops)

California Autobody Association – Calif. State Organization, Orange County, San Fernando Valley, Mid-Cities chapters in particular. (representing over 50 shops each)

BASF – Paint Manufacturer and Licensed training facility for GM and other OEM’s.

Several other single-location body shop owners and managers have expressed interest in such a program to deliver highly-focused technician training in conjunction with their on-the-job mentoring.

FAST TRACK COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

AB 50A – BODY TRIM AND MINOR REPAIRS (January 03 Start Date)

This is one in a series of hands-on short courses that prepares students for employment as a collision repair technician apprentice.  Major emphasis will be placed on removal and replacement of external panels, bumpers, lights, and trim.  Repair of minor body panel dents and the use of power and hand tools will be covered.  

AB 50B – PANEL REPLACEMENT (January 04 Next Start Date)

This is one in a series of fast-track, hands-on courses that prepares students for employment as a collision repair technician apprentice.  Major emphasis will be placed on removal and replacement (R&R) of more complex external panel assemblies, doors, tailgates, rear hatches etc.  Continued repair of more complex non-structural body panels and the introduction of additional power and hand tools plus water leak and wind noise detection and correction will be covered. 

AB 50C – STRUCTURAL REPAIR SET-UP (March 2004 Next Start Date)

This is one in a series of fast-track, hands-on courses which prepares students for employment as a collision repair technician apprentice.  Major emphasis will be placed on diagnosis and repair of structural damage and welding.  A variety of methods of measuring structural damage will be utilized including trams, gauges and laser measuring devices. 

AB 60A – SANDING AND PAINT PREPARATION (March 2004 Next Start Date)

This is one in a series of hands-on short courses that prepares students for employment as an automotive refinishing apprentice.  Major emphasis will be placed on removal and installation of moldings and trim, sanding and preparation of substrate finish, and the use of two-component putty.  

AB 60B – MIXING AND APPLICATION OF PAINT (May 27th Start Date )

This is one in a series of hands-on short courses that prepares students for employment as an automotive refinishing apprentice.  Major emphasis will be placed on bare metal preparation, mixing and application of primers and topcoats, and blending of paint finishes.  

AB 60C – PAINT DEFECTS:  CAUSES AND CURES (May 29th Start Date )

This is one in a series of hands-on short courses that prepares students for employment as an automotive refinishing apprentice.  Major emphasis will be placed on solving paint application problems and finish defects, causes and cures. 

AB 80A – VEHICLE STAGING (August 18, 2003 Next Start Date)

This is one in a series of hands-on short courses that prepares students for employment as a porter in an automotive shop operation.  Major emphasis will be placed on safe driving and parking, vehicle clean up, customer contact, and the staging of vehicles within an automotive repair facility at the start and end of each day.

AB 80B – DAMAGE ANALYSIS AND AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS (August 20th 2003 Next Start Date)

This is one in a series of hands-on short courses that prepares students for employment as an automotive office assistant.  Major emphasis will be placed on damage analysis, estimating the cost of repair, legal and environmental practices, and vehicle systems knowledge.

AB 80C – VEHICLE TYPES AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS (October 20, 2003 Next Start Date)

This is one in a series of hands-on short courses that prepares students for employment as an automotive office assistant.  Major emphasis will be placed on vehicle construction types, fasteners and materials, parts acquisition sources and customer relations.  

For Information on How to Become a Sponsoring Shop or an Apprentice, click HERE and Send an Email Indicating Your Interest.