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CARSON GRAHAM secondary schoo! instructor Mike Messner explains the dos and don'ts of welding to a group of possible future mechanics as part of the school’s autobody apprentice

program.

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Certification will keep work consistent

PENDING PROVINCIAL legisla- tion to regulate the autobody repair industry is welcome news for the Automotive Retailers’ Association (ARA).

By Greg Felton

Contributing Writer

For more than 40 years, the ARA had been after the provincial government to require all autobody apprentices to have a journcyman’s ticket, said ARA technical services coordinator Mac Fish.

“There's not a level playing field. The body shop owner who has a skilled staff, pays all his taxes and adheres to environmental laws, has to compete with cut-rate, back- yard operaicrs. B.C. is one of only two provinces where a journey- man’s ticket is not required.”

Fish said the welcome change comes out of an initiative begun two years ago with people on a steering committee from industry, government and representatives from ICBC.

Out of that initiative has come the first-year, certified autobody program at Carson Graham sec- ondary school through North Shore Continuing Education (NSCE).

“About a year ago, we heard that changes were coming, to legislation

governing autobody workers,” said NSCE administrator Judy Turner.

“With that in mind, we decided to put together this program. 1 want-. ed to have a facility that was approved federally, as the commu- nity colleges are. ‘The only facility that we have that is approved by the federal government for the North Shore is Carson.”

At present, Turner said only the first year of the apprenticeship pro- gram is offered. The classroom is the school's old welding shop that fell into disuse after demand for welders fell off.

In the partnership between the ARA and NSCE, the ARA more or less has formal controi, said Fish. “We inake sure that the program is operating properly on behalf of Employment and Immigration Canada.” In return, the ARA sub- contracts the education to NSCE.

Because the program is not at the post-secondary level it does not quality for funding from the Min- istry of Skills Training and Labor.

Turner said the 3t-month pro- gram is run on a shoestring budget and relies on donations and bor- rowed equipment from autobody shops on the Lower Mainland.

A major reason why the provin- cial apprenticeship board granted NSCE its first-year curriculum, said

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NEWS photo Mike Wakefield“. .

Turner, was the improvements that project manager Ron Damon made

to the existing trade board curricu-.; .*

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board to get a reaction. They said: - ‘That's really great,’ and they offered us our first year,” she said. Damon Said the industry has to provide better service for it to com-

pete with the cut-rate shops. “We're: ” going back to teach the business the .°

right way,” he said. This new approach involves teaching tradi- tional metalworking techniques, such as aluminum welding and pick and file work. He said the result is a car properly repaired with metal. : instead of fiberglass or bondo. Damon's revised curriculum

also includes computer and person- ”

al development courses.

Ray Nick, research and training coordinator for the Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC), praises the Carson program’s focus on good craftsmanship because ICBC is concerned that when cars are fixed there’s nothing’ to verify tha the work is certified. :

In addition, Nick said the indus- try pushed for certification to disci- pline new apprentices. At present, he said anyone can walk in as an entry-level floor sweeper and learn repair work along the way.

“Quite often, after a shop invest- ed time and expense to train some- one new, (the trainee) will seek greener pastures,” he said.

All applicants to the Carson pro- gram must show some general mechanical aptitude and go through three or four interviews before being accepted, said instructor Mike Messner.

In addition, Messner said all of | them must be on unemployment — insurance or have recently been laid off. “Our mandate is to educate people so that they can get good trade experience,” he said.

“Ron took the curriculum with .,,;: the changes to the apprenticeship

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A benefit of the Carson program is its novelty. Turner said the cur- riculum at the vocational colleges is reviewed every three years, which is too slow to keep up with changes in the industry.

“What you have is an apprentice or journeyman who is not up to date. Carson yrads are probably more qualified (after the first year) than grads from VCC, BCIT and Camosun because (these institu- tions) are still offering only the apprenticeship board's curriculum.”

Nevertheless, changes are already taking shape at the college level. “BCIT is just beginning a partnership with high schools and the Vancouver School Board to integrate their training program,” said Fish.

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