By Josh White
Toronto, Ontario — July 3, 2017 — Tropicana Employment Centre will hold its 6th annual Autobody and Collision Repair career fair on August 29, 2017. Tropicana is best known in the collision repair industry for its works in getting youth and adults involved in collision repair with its Pre-Apprenticeship Program. The program prepares and introduces students to apprentice programs that could further their skills and experience.
Tropicana frequently holds events that provide its clients with the skills necessary to move forward in their industry. This includes workshops on resume writing, creating a LinkedIn profile, and mock interviewing. The career fair allows them to put these skills to use and interact with businesses in their industry.
Recently, Tropicana has embarked on a program geared towards clients that do not have a high school diploma. Many potential candidates have been turned away from their respective programs without this diploma. Tropicana has worked hard to make sure these individuals gain their GED and the skills necessary to work in the collision repair industry. The work done in this program benefits the individuals involved as well as the industry.
Vendors at the career fair will have the opportunity to hire a newly educated student as an apprentice. In this process, they gain a potential long-term hire with possible subsidies and tax credits for doing so. According to Marc Tremblay, Pre-Apprenticeship coordinator for Tropicana, “All graduates walk out with at least a placement.”
This year, Tropicana is hoping to expand the fair to be even more enriching for the students. In addition to the career fair, it is working to include a lunch and open house portion to the event. Tropicana’s programs rely on the participation of sponsors to achieve their success rate.
“They helped us grow to where we are today,” said Tremblay. Providing more than funding alone, sponsors make the apprenticeship programs and access to materials possible. I-CAR, who has been working with Tropicana for four years, takes pride in its sponsorship. Offering post-apprenticeship training, I-CAR also offers scholarships to further the education of students in the program.
“We should be doing everything we can to get them in the industry,” said Andrew Shepherd, Executive Director of I-CAR Canada. “We’re giving back to the industry in a way that benefits both sides.”
Tremblay’s leadership of the Pre-apprentice Program has brought it to new heights and it continues to grow. Thanks to the sponsors and contributors, Tropicana delivers newly educated technicians into the industry that might not have had the chance otherwise.
For more information, please visit tropicanaemployment.ca.
