Schools in Minnesota and Arizona invite students to learn in the shop
This summer, Minnesota shop Jerry’s Abra Mankato hosted 10 enthusiastic middle schoolers for a day as part of a summer camp aimed at introducing youth to careers in the auto body and transportation industries.
The Minnesota State University Engineering Department asked Jerry’s to participate in the Minnesota State Nitro-X Summer Camp program. Nitro-X is designed for middle school students to explore careers in transportation through hands-on activities, featuring technical sessions, tinkering with RC cars, and painting RC car bodies in professional paint booths.
The campers toured local businesses, including Mankato Ford and Mankato Motors, before participating in a hands-on painting session at Jerry’s, and then wrapped up with a cookout and team bonding activities.
Each student painted the body of their own RC car in the facility’s paint booths.
“This camp is all about opening young minds to what’s possible in the auto body industry,” said Geri Kottschade, owner of Jerry’s Abra Mankato, in a press release. “Watching these kids light up while painting their RC cars, learning new skills, and making new friends — that’s what it’s all about. We’re honored to support the next generation of technicians.”
Campers went home with their freshly painted car bodies, ready to assemble and race during the final event.
Abra is a member of Driven Brands. The event was sponsored by the MSU Engineering Department, along with help from PPG and Single Source.
“This type of early exposure to the industry is vital,” said Damien Reyna, Driven Brands collision chief operating officer, in the release. “We’re proud to see Jerry’s Abra Mankato stepping up as a community leader, inspiring the next generation of skilled workers and showing them how rewarding a career in collision repair can be.”
Automotive News reports the owner of a dealership with a defunct body shop leased it at a discounted rate to a local college to help train future technicians.
Mark Harris, owner of Flagstaff Chevrolet in Arizona, renovated the shop building and leased it to Coconino Community College (CCC) in Flagstaff as an automotive technician training facility. According to the article, Harris, a former technician instructor, hopes to hire students after they graduate.
“I can see the need for technicians here very clearly, but there’s no path to get to that point,” he told Automotive News. “This facility fits in perfectly with what CCC wants to achieve.”
CCC President Eric Heiser said if the school had built an auto tech facility, it would’ve cost an estimated $10 million to $12 million, according to the article.
The building has 15 service bays, several lifts, a paint booth, and a “jambing” booth for painting vehicle door jambs. And CCC installed about $500,000 worth of equipment so instructors can teach a full complement of automotive technology classes, Heiser told Automotive News.
CCC plans to consolidate its automotive curriculum by relocating collision repair and vehicle refinishing classes from a high school in the city of Page, about 130 miles from Flagstaff, the article says.
Looking ahead, Heiser told Automotive News the college could teach welding and electric vehicle maintenance and repair classes at the facility.
Images
Ten enthusiastic Minnesota middle schoolers spent a day this summer learning about careers in the auto body and transportation industries at Jerry’s Abra Mankato. (All photos provided by Jerry’s)