No matter what training and guidance you receive in the classroom, it’s a different world when a paycheck is involved.

In the real world, students become technicians and deal with deadlines. Deadlines are something no successful business can operate without. Promises to customers about the timely return of their vehicles turn into deadlines for those who do vehicle service and repair.

How do we train students to prepare for it? Like anything else: practice, practice and more practice. Practicing with “real world” problems in the classroom will let students feel the pressure that can occur in a busy shop.

When the pressure is on, people tend to rush, which leads to accidents and unsatisfactory work. For example, your supervisor may pull you aside while you’re sanding, and you take your safety glasses off. If you forget to put them back on, ten minutes later you may have something in your eye and be on your way to the Emergency Room. Rushing a job isn’t worth it. Slow down and take the time to think about your safety; it will pay off for you – AND your supervisor.

Accidents can happen to both novice and experienced collision repair specialists. Shifting gears to the work world and its deadlines will never be easy, especially with the high demands for productivity. To reduce the number of accidents and to prepare for the pressure of getting the job done, we must train students as much as possible in a “real world” environment.

By Natalie L. Schoonover & Robert G. Stewart, The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR®).

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