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I-CAR’s Tracey Blouin has been helping people access training since 1990.
As the collision repair industry continues to evolve the need for ongoing training remains. One not-for-profit organization always seems to come in discussions about education. That organization is I-CAR.
Tracey Blouin has been the I-CAR Canadian Manager since 2000. She has worked in several different capacities with the organization since January 1990.
Although I-CAR was in Canada during the 80’s, in January 1990 it was being offered again through an entirely different structure. It was at that time Tracey was approached to embark on a truly unique career opportunity.
In 2000 I-CAR in Canada was restructured and the post of Canadian Manager was created. This position was offered to Tracey and she has continued to fill it to this day.
“Primarily my job function is to be the liaison between volunteers and instructors,” says Tracey. “They are a great bunch of people who are very passionate about the industry, but like any large organization, it takes a fair amount of coordination to keep things running smoothly.”
That it does, but Tracey also finds the time to solicit support for the organization, promote I-CAR, and plan and schedule training classes with I-CAR committees.
Tracey is also an active and frequent participant of the Canadian Collision Industry Forum as well as being a member of AIA Canada’s PBE Council.
She also participated in the CARS Council’s Interactive Distance Learning project. This project has become a large part of the driving force behind Collision TV, a project that seeks to deliver top-quality interactive training throughout Canada via satellite.
Currently Tracey is involved with another CARS Council iniative, the Needs Assessment Project.
“CARS is working to develop a tool that help people fill in their training gaps,” says Tracey. “The idea is to give someone working in the field an opportunity to expand and/or grow their career, and then determine how to get there. It’s very exciting to be a part of it.”
I-CAR has been through a lot of changes since Tracey first started working there in 1990.
“Technology changes very quickly and the programs we offer will change with that,” says Tracey. “But I think the biggest changes have been in how we deliver training. We’ve gone from only offering classes in a classroom to embracing the potential offered by satellite delivery as well as Online Training and Virtual Classroom.”
Tracey believes that the implementation of different delivery methods will help I-CAR in its goal of getting the right training to the right people.
Specific needs
“We’ve listened to what industry stakeholders have said about how they want to access training, and we’re delivering on that,” says Tracey, “Part of that is determining which method of delivery is best for a particular shop in a particular community. Working with shop owners to address their specific needs is one of the most enjoyable things I do.”
Tracey says that her biggest challenge lies not in organization or delivering the courses, but simply in convincing people that training is an investment and not an expense.
“There are quite a few people in the industry who are dedicated to training,” says Tracey. “But there are some who see it as a cash outlay with no concrete results. We have to consistently get the word out that investing in training is a necessary part of staying competitive.”
What does the future hold for I-CAR? Tracey says that the next 10 years will be even more exciting than the last decade has been.
“The industry will decide where we go from here,” says Tracey. “The manufacturers will decide what training we offer, but it is technology that decides how we get that training to the people. Someone much wiser than me once said ‘You are only limited by your imagination.’”
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