By Barett Poley
Toronto, Ontario — April 5, 2017 — Jaskirat Kelsi, a Centennial College autobody student, has received a scholarship, thanks to a generous donation from Anthony Iaboni and his company Collision 360. The scholarship was awarded to Kelsi in recognition of his hard work and determination.
According to Centennial College, the scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled full-time in the school’s Auto Body Repair Techniques program. The student must have a passion for the automotive industry and must have shown how the Auto Body Repair Techniques program will prepare them for a career. Iaboni says that the scholarship is a great first step, and that more initiatives like it are on the horizon.
“I’d like to make it a goal to support at least two more students’ annually,” says Iaboni. “I believe with reinforced partnerships and initiatives this goal could become a reality.”
Iaboni is passionate about giving young people a strong start in collision repair. After starting Collision 360 just over four years ago, Iaboni knew he needed to help younger people find careers in the trade.
“We’ve made a bold commitment to support those willing to learn our skilled trade,” says Iaboni. “I’m often asked why a company relatively in its infancy would make such a commitment to youth. Thanks to the efforts of individuals like Mike Rowe I’ve become a stringent proponent of reducing the skills gap. I believe North America has a dysfunctional relationship with work, directly affecting a widening skills gap.”
Iaboni doesn’t think that this is a permanent problem, though, and he says that the collision repair industry can help turn things around.
“As an industry we must nourish those with a passion for pursuing our trade. As an individual all I can do is build awareness within my circle of industry colleagues, and hope that individuals like Jaskirat Kalsi succeed within our trade and help secure its future,” he says.
For more information, please visit collision360.ca.
