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Hawaii’s education department seeks feedback on collision repair curriculum

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Announcements | Collision Repair | Education
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A Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) division is seeking input from the collision repair industry on draft industry standards.

Automotive collision repair (ACR) is among dozens of programs the department’s Office of Curriculum and Industrial Design is seeking input on, particularly from industry members and instructors, it said in a press release.

The department is asking industry members to review draft standards on the following ACR program courses:

    • “Foundations of Collision Repair: an introductory program designed to educate students about career opportunities in the field, as well as safety and service skills;
    • “Non-structural collision repair: intended to teach students about panel and body component repair procedures, metal finishing and welding, body frilling, glass, plastics, and hardware;
    • “Painting and refinishing: covering procedures such as paint mixing, matching and applying, diagnosis and correction of paint defects, and final detailing; and
    • “Damage Analysis, Estimating, and Customer Service: to teach students how to assess collision damage, estimate repair costs, and work with customers.”

The department said the curriculum is “intended to provide a work-based learning experience for students to develop further understanding of professional issues, utilize employability skills, and demonstrate mastery of academic and technical skills learned through the program of study.”

“The work-based learning experience provides opportunities to apply and practice the knowledge and skills learned in previous courses and gives students hands-on practical experiences related to occupations in the automotive and transportation industries,” it said on its website.

“Upon completion of the course, a proficient student will be able to discern multiple pathways to a career in the automotive collision repair industry, necessary steps toward applying for a postsecondary program, necessary steps toward applying for a job, and reflect on program goals and aspirations.”

Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation, told Repairer Driven News that it’s important for the industry to be involved with both high school and post-secondary tech programs to enhance the quality of curriculum and opportunities for aspiring technicians to build their networks.

Through TechForce, the industry can donate equipment for schools, provide employee volunteers to serve as speakers or advisory council members, offer scholarships and grants to help students and instructors thrive, and create events that provide opportunities for future techs and employers to meet, she said.
“You reap what you sow,” Maher said. “When you get involved in helping to foster the next generation of professional technicians, we not only grow the population from which to hire but we increase the quality of that tech hitting the ground running day one.”
John Van Alstyne, CEO and president of I-CAR, said 70% of career technical schools in the U.S. are using the organization’s curriculum.
“I-CAR offers a comprehensive program suitable for both one-year and two-year programs, with accompanying support mechanisms under a simple and cost-effective licensing model,” Van Alstyne told RDN. “A complete school curriculum refresh is underway for launch in 2024, designed in collaboration with schools and shops. It is currently undergoing pilot testing with several schools across the United States.”

After the HIDOE draft curriculum has been reviewed, industry members can click on the department’s feedback form to provide insights by its Dec. 17 deadline. It isn’t necessary to provide feedback on each course contained in the program.

Those with questions can email g-ocid-career_readiness@k12.hi.us.

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Featured image courtesy of Daisy-Daisy/iStock

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