The criteria for each level will focus around the number of hours of instruction, curriculum in place, along with what tools, equipment, and supplies a school uses to prepare their students for employment in the collision industry. If there is something that is missing, the grant application will allow a school to request that particular item. The goal is to help every school acquire the resources to eventually achieve a Tier 1: Advanced school designation. School designations will be announced in July 2016, and the Makeover grant recipients will be announced in November 2016.
Clark Plucinski, Collision Repair Education Foundation Executive Director said, “In June 2015, the Foundation Board of Trustees made the decision to adjust the Foundation’s mission to focus not only on grants and donations, but also on bridging the employment gap. The new focus will be on getting the right grants/donations into each school to better prepare the students for entering the collision industry. This new designation program ties into the new focus and will better determine what items each school is in need of that will be ultimately benefit the students.”
Since 2009, schools have been able to apply for the Foundation’s $50,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover Grant to get much needed tools, equipment, and supplies for their program. Over $3 million in cash and in-kind donations have been given out to schools as a result of the grant, and over 20,000 students have been impacted by the program.
If a school or business is interested in learning more about the Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark program or the Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant, they can contact the Melissa Marscin, Director of Grant Programs at [email protected].
