Caliber exec testifies on goals, success of Technician Apprentice Program; 3,000th student graduates

Caliber is celebrating reaching 3,000 graduates of its Technician Apprentice Program (TAP), which is a collision repair training program.

TAP was launched in 2022 as Caliber’s way to help address the industry’s technician shortage. The U.S. economy is short roughly 140,000 skilled technicians a year, and the gap is widening, with 73,354 new collision repair entrant technicians needed by 2029, according to the TechForce Foundation’s latest “Technician Supply, Demand & Opportunity Report.” The report also found that the collision repair industry’s current supply gap is 57%.

Launched in 2022, TAP was created to address that need while opening doors to rewarding careers in the skilled trades, Caliber says in a press release. The company says the paid apprenticeship program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and benefits with real-world experience, “allowing teammates to earn while they learn and develop in-demand technical skills without taking on the financial burden often associated with traditional education.”

On June 24, Jaime Angell, Caliber senior director of apprenticeships and transitional programs, testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development at a hearing titled “Workforce Rewired: Modern Apprenticeships for a Modern Economy.”

The subcommittee states on its webpage that the purpose of the hearing was to “examine how apprenticeships are a workforce solution that benefits both workers and employers.”

Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (R-UT) opened the hearing by discussing how AI is reshaping job skills.

“Researchers estimate that 40% of the skills required for today’s jobs will change over the next decade,” he said. “That reality presents a challenge not only for workers, but also for employers who need talent that’s able to adapt to changing business needs. The traditional model for education followed by decades in a single role is significantly less common than it once was. In today’s economy, workers increasingly need opportunities to upskill, reskill, and acquire new competencies as they work. The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is only making that need clearer.”

In her testimony, Angell shared that she grew up learning about collision repair because her parents owned a shop and taught collision repair at a local vocational school. She said she worked her way through college at a small MSO, starting out working at the front desk and moving on to vehicle detailing, parts, production, estimating, and operations; eventually running a shop at 24 years old.

“This upbringing showed me how beneficial a career in the skilled trades could be,” she said. “Today, I carry with me the knowledge of what it’s like to work on the shop floor as I seek to build sustainable technician pipelines and expand career pathways into the collision repair industry.

“In this industry, opportunity is created when people are given a chance to learn, to work hard, and to grow. That’s why the technician shortage we face today is so important to me personally. Our industry needs skilled professionals at a pace our traditional pipelines are just not meeting.”

The subcommittee questioned the witnesses who testified. The first question from Burgess to Angell was: “If an 18-year-old asks you tomorrow whether they should take a $30,000 student debt to pursue traditional higher education, or enter the apprenticeship where they’re earning a paycheck on day one, what factors would you tell them to consider?”

Angell responded that she has an 18-year-old daughter who graduated high school this year.

“We’ve had these conversations over the last year between her, her boyfriend, her friends,” she said. “Every time we’ve had the discussion, they’ve chosen different paths based on the factors… we discussed. What kind of work do you enjoy? Do you like working with your hands, analyzing, writing, researching? What kind of career do you want? What do you want your day-to-day to look like? Not what degree do you want, what area do you want to study? What do you want to look forward to in the future? What do you want to expect day-to-day? Of course, there’s financial implications, and they need to discover that and determine whether or not that’s the right path for them. But I also encourage them to think about how they learn best. Are they somebody that is a hands-on, real-world learner? Are they somebody that enjoys classroom instruction? What is the demand for their career? Are employers hiring? Is there a shortage of workers in that field? What are the growth opportunities?

“At the end of the day, I always told my daughter and all of her friends, don’t choose college or a trade because of prestige or what you think you know. Choose the best path that aligns with your interests, your strengths, your financial goals, your desired lifestyle.”

In the press release from Caliber, Angell added that TAP reaching 3,000 graduates is “an important milestone, but the real impact is measured by the careers our teammates build.”

“TAP creates opportunities for people to develop valuable skills, build meaningful careers and help strengthen the future of the collision repair industry,” she said.

The release highlights the story of TAP’s 3,000th graduate, Navy veteran Cola, who graduated earlier this year. Caliber didn’t provide Cola’s last name.

Caliber says Cola was searching for a career where she could put the hands-on skills she developed during nine years of military service to work in a new way.

“She found that opportunity after bringing her own vehicle to Caliber for repairs,” the release states. “A conversation with a Caliber teammate introduced her to TAP, and she joined the program to build a long-term career in collision repair.”

“For me, this is a huge accomplishment,” said Cola in the release. “When I first started, I wasn’t even sure I was going to graduate from the apprenticeship. My mentors saw potential in me before I always saw it in myself, and their encouragement helped me keep going. Looking back now, I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m doing work that I enjoy, I’m continuing to grow my skills, and I’ve found a career that I can build on.”

The release adds that throughout the program, the TAP apprentices train alongside seasoned Caliber technicians who coach and guide them through complex repairs, Caliber’s safety and quality standards, and offer encouragement.

“Beyond passing on technical expertise, these mentors help apprentices build the confidence to grow into long-term careers, ensuring the craftsmanship that defines Caliber’s work is carried forward to the next generation of technicians,” the release states.

“Good things are worth waiting for,” Cola said in the release. “There’s no such thing as too much training. Stay humble, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Every day is another opportunity to get better.”

Images

Featured image: Jaime Angell, Caliber senior director of apprenticeships and transitional programs, testifies before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development on June 24, 2026. (YouTube screenshot)