By Mike Davey

Milton, Ontario -- May 14, 2012 -- The enthusiasm of youth was on display recently at Maaco Systems Canada in Milton, Ontario. Maaco hosted 15 pre-apprentices at its headquarters so they could learn more about the collision repair industry.

The event was organized by AYCE Employment Services, a division of Tropicana Community Services. Marc Tremblay is the co-ordinator of the Autobody and Collision Damage Repairer Pre-apprenticeship Program for AYCE.

“The students here have already been through the filter of a registration fair we ran and interviews we did with them to make sure they’re serious about a career in the collision repair industry,” said Tremblay. 

The registration fair is the first hurdle. Prospective apprentices heard from representatives of the MTCU on autobody apprenticeships, listened topresentations from representatives of Maaco and Carstar and received information from previous graduates of the program, giving them an in-depth view of what life is really like in the collision repair industry. The afternoon portion of the registration fair was dedicated to interviews with different people from the industry to test if the prospective apprentices would be a good fit in the collision repair industry. AYCE would like to thank the City of Toronto for helping to promote the registration fair. 

Part of the purpose of the pre-apprenticeship program is to give the students more information about the processess and terminology used in the collision repair industry, giving them a head start when they start their apprenticeship.Brimell Group donated the space for training during the six week pre-employment and academic portion.

“The first six weeks of the program are devoted to pre-employment training, the idea being to completely expose them to the industry,” said Tremblay. “After this part of the program is done, students will attend 12 weeks at Centennial College. After the students graduate, the next step is a career fair. A number of collision repair facilities will be there to sign them as full apprentices if they turn out to be a good fit.”

Tremblay gives a lot of credit to industry partners for helping to make the program a success, noting that the partnership built between Maaco and AYCE helped lead to a successful event. 

“We owe a debt of thanks to everyone at Maaco, but Wayne James in particular put in a lot of hard work. The dedication he showed in working with our pre-apprenticeship students was amazing. The students are on an emotional high right now from their day at Maaco,” says Tremblay. “They’re recharged and ready to go. It’s a huge help to these kids that all of these companies are willing to donate time and energy to this.”

Students received practical, hands-on information on breathing masks and safety from 3M’s Paul Birchall. Bruce Redwood and Jim Owens of Sherwin-Williams presented on the last 100 years of automotive paint, both OE and in the refinish setting. Their presentation gave dramatic proof that although the industry has always changed and advance, the pace of advancement is definitely accelerating.

A quick break for lunch followed the classroom portion of the day. The lunch was cooked by Gary Dohring, President of Maaco Systems Canada. It was a rare opportunity for pre-apprenticeship students to meet and ask questions regarding his background and growth within the industry. It  provided them with further insight and understanding of the opportunities the collision repair industry has to offer.

After lunch, the students suited up and got to try their hand at the practical side of painting panels. Each student received a certificate of achievement at the end of the day.

AYCE and Maaco Systems Canada would like to thank 3M, Canadian Autobody Sales & Marketing, Sherwin-Williams and Caruk & Associates for their help with the event.

For more information on the pre-apprenticeship program, please visit ayce.on.ca.