Mitchell International has donated more than $1.5 million worth of software to the Collision Engineering Program (CEP) through an in-kind donation.

The CEP is a two-year collision repair technician associate degree model and mentorship program that includes in-class and shop apprenticeship learning at seven colleges across the U.S. It was created in 2020 by the Enterprise Mobility Foundation and Ranken Technical College in St. Louis to address the ongoing technician shortage. Its goal is to foster collaboration between educational institutions and industry representatives to develop a sustainable pipeline of skilled and well-equipped professionals who can perform proper and safe vehicle repairs.

“Mitchell is a valuable supporter of the Collision Engineering program, and we are extremely grateful for its latest software donation,” said Enterprise Mobility Vice President Mary Mahoney, in a press release. “It is essential that we come together as an industry to address the global technician shortage and develop the next generation of collision repair professionals. With the help of organizations like Mitchell, we can meet the growing need for qualified and skilled workers.”

More CEP students will have access to Mitchell’s advanced technology solutions, including Mitchell Cloud Estimating with Integrated Repair Procedures and Mitchell TechAdvisor to gain hands-on experience creating collision estimates and comprehensive repair plans for today’s complex vehicles, the release says.

“The only way to address the challenges our industry is facing is through ongoing collaboration,” said Debbie Day, Mitchell Auto Physical Damage Division executive vice president and general manager, in the release. “We are proud to support the Collision Engineering program and the next generation of collision repairers. By making our technology more accessible, these students will receive real-world experience using the same advanced solutions as collision facilities do today to restore vehicles to pre-accident condition.”

CEP is available at Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, Missouri; College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois; Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California; Texas State Technical College in Waco, Texas; Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois.; Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska, and Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Sandhills Community College is the first college in the Southeast to offer the CEP, which began with this year’s fall semester. Brian Garner, Sandhills Transportation Department chair and instructor, reached out to Collision Engineering’s Molly Mahoney to learn more about the program after discovering it at a Southeast Collision Conference.

“The apprenticeship model is the big difference in the two,” Garner previously said. “That’s the real draw — their connection to the shops and getting them on board.”

Images

Featured image: A Sandhills Community College collision repair and refinish student learning in the shop. (Provided by Sandhills Community College/Collision Engineering)

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Collision Engineering Program touted as ‘breath of fresh air,’ tech shortage solution for industry