BCRN August Newsletter

But I’ve Already Done That!

The first class in the collision repair program is a tough one. There is a lot of classroom work before we can participate in the shop. We must learn proper safety procedures and the hazards involved with a collision repair shop. The students are always ready to get to the shop by the time we get this completed.

The first class in the shop Is welding. And I always start this class off with the same story because I know there will be a few students that think that they have it mastered after a day or two of practice. Therefore, I talk about baseball. The first thing you do when learning how to play baseball is to learn how to catch, throw and bat. As you advance to the next league, you get better and learn a few more things, but you’re still focused on three things catching, throwing and batting. During high school baseball you will start throwing harder, catching better and batting farther. Of course you learn better ways to play defense and different ways to throw, pitch and hit the ball. However, the three same principles apply. In College and even Major League guess how they warm up and practice? I bet you can guess it, they’re still practicing the same things. During their entire childhood, college days and career has been spent doing the same thing day after day. That is how they got so good at what they do.

I encourage all students to start this class with the same perspective. Learn it correctly and practice it over and over. Practice does not always make perfect, but practicing doing it the correct way makes perfect. Therefore, I do not want to hear that you have welding mastered after a few days or weeks. You can always improve. Always look for ways to become better.

Think Like A Champion – Don’t Be A Know It All

In Donald Trump’s new book “Think Like a Champion”, he says “Being a know-it-all is like shutting the door to great discoveries and opportunities.” Another statement he makes in his book that I agree with is “The more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know.” That is very true for me. With the complexity and changes being made to today’s vehicles makes this statement ring true to this industry.

This is something else that I point out to the students. Always be willing to learn. Even the most successful of businessmen does not know it all, it’s alright for you not to know it all either. Start this class with an open mind. You don’t have to agree with everything, but you need to be willing to listen, learn and decide if you agree or not. Don’t just shut the door and assume that you don’t need to know the material presented.

I have not had a problem with this, this year. I just wanted to address a few issues that have surfaced in the past.

First Year Students

The first year students have been busy on the computer learning about vehicle design, safety, and hazardous materials. They are eager to get this portion of the program completed so we can spend a lot more time in the shop performing hand-on activities. In next month’s newsletter, we’ll discuss welding.

Second Year Students

The second year students have been learning about weld-on panels. We’re learning how to take them off and use welds and adhesives to reinstall the panel to the vehicle. This includes: door skins, roof panels and quarter panels. This is where the welding in the first year comes in handy. However, adhesives are becoming used more to install non-structural parts.
They have already started working on live work. They perform the job from start to finish. Everything from estimating the repair to washing the vehicle to prepare for pick up. This will give them a well rounded idea of what all goes into a repair from start to finish. This will also allow the student to determine what they may want to specialize in. Most shops have collision repair techs, frame techs, paint techs, and mechanical techs. I encourage students to follow what they are most passionate about. After completing the program they need to focus on quality. Speed will follow!

Chicago Pneumatic

Chicago Pneumatic Tools awarded the Butler Community College with seven 3/8 impact wrenches.

Last year Tomorrow’s Technician and Chicago Pneumatic named Butler’s Auto Tech and Collision Repair as one of the Top 20 Auto Tech and Collision Repair Schools in The Country. This included tech schools, high schools and community colleges.

We feel it is an honor to be named as one of the top 20 schools and we thank Tomorrow Technician and CP Tools for all they do for the auto and collision repair schools.

Students Holding 3 of 7 Donated Impact Wrenches From CP Tools

Student Blogs

We Are Back At It Again
By Jon

Well, The first weeks of classes are done, and wow did it go by quick. It was nice to get back into the shop i am amazed how little i actually forgot over the summer. We got the Quarter pulled off of the parts cavalier, so hopefully now we can get that car out of the shop, and Jose spent a whole day buffing his truck and WOW! did that thing shine.
READ MORE

First Year Students
By Samuel

We've almost made it through the first class. Not quite what any of use expected. We covered a very broad amount of information in a short amount of time and didn’t get much shop time. I think all of us are looking forward to being out in the shop for some hands on learning.
READ MORE

Off To A Good Start

Classes are full and I have some eager students with a lot of enthusiasm this year. I am interested to see what all talents and skills the students have. Many times the students already have the talent, I’m just here to help them discover what they are and help them strengthen them.

Check Back Often As We Will Blogging What Is Going On In Our Program. Stay Updated With Projects, The Program, Industry Issues and Whatever Else We Decide To Blog About.

Industry Training

There is a new ASA Collision Repair Chapter in Wichita, Kansas. We had ASE Vise President as our guest speaker last month. If you're a business leader that is concerned about training and providing customers the best service possible, I invite and encourage you to become a part of the chapter. For more information contact our chapter president:

Brad Shelton, Shelton Collision Repair
316-788-1528 / brad@sheltoncollision.com

or visit ASA MoKan

This Month ASA Meeting will be September 18, 2009 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at Wichita Area Technical College Building C. You can contact Bob Smith at 816-519-9335 for additional information.

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Collision Repair Tip
“Window cleaner works well when cutting a urethane windshield out.”
~BCC Student Zan Fine
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Car Fact
The first speeding ticket was issued in 1902.
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Quote
“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
Lewis Carroll
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Collision Repair Question
What are a few benefits of sectioning a part on a vehicle?
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First Year Students

By Samuel

We've almost made it through the first class. Not quite what any of us expected. We covered a very broad amount of information in a short amount of time and didn’t get much shop time. I think all of us are looking forward to being out in the shop for some hands on learning.

I wanted to also talk about what us as students go through; the majorities of us go to school as well as hold a job down at the same time. Sometimes it’s rough to fit everything in and keep up on our moral. But who said life was easy right? For those of us that push through and overcome we have a very bright future ahead of us!

We are back at it again!

By Jon

Well, The first week of classes are done, and wow did it go by quick. It was nice to get back into the shop i am amazed how little i actually forgot over the summer. We got the Quater pulled off of the parts cavaliar, so hopefully now we can get that car out of the shop, and Jose spent a whole day buffing his truck and WOW! did that thing shine.

Also the first year class is full this year. Which is really good to hear, and I got one thing to tell you guys it is going to go by quick! I have yet to meet any of them yet, but i am looking forward to seeing them hard at work in the shop.

All and all i belive this is shaping up to be a productive and fun year. I can just hope it doesnt go by as fast as last year!

An Exciting Year In Progress At BCC Collision Repair

The first week of school went by fast, but what an awesome week.  It is always hard to get back in the routine of things.  However, once in motion, things start coming together and I get pumped.  

Many changes in the collision repair program this year.  I tell the students, the only certainty in life is change.  If you can learn to adapt quickly, your success will be much easier.  

We’re Currently In A Transition Stage In Our Program 

I-CAR Live Curriculum

This year we eliminated the textbook and are only using the I-CAR Live curriculum.  The students purchase cd’s in place of the textbook.  Now they will receive the same training as a technician will in the industry.  Therefore, I-CAR has us cover with the best training available for the technical portion of this class.

Industry Support

We also started working with the Collision Hub to provide the students with support from the industry.  This allows the students to connect with different leaders in the industry and vice versa.  Many leaders have already expressed an interest to help mentor the students and to help provide a smooth transition from college to the work place.  The Collision Hub asked our students what they wanted to know and learn about.  From there the Collision Hub clumped the comments into categories and will move forward.  I know mentoring programs and custom paint were topics that surfaced to the top.  While some of these topics are not what we focus on here at Butler, as they are not a part of our core curriculum, this is the type of activity that will help the students explore and discover what career pathway best fits their interests, abilities and desires.  This will enable the student to capitalize on their individual strengths and create their niche in the industry. Some of the activities will require the student to go above and beyond what we do at school.  It may require additional time spent outside of the class.  However, after spending a week with them, I can guarantee you that they are definitely up for the challenge.  They showed up Monday morning motivated, on time and I believe the motivation is increasing each day as we go.  

New Bloggers

Several students have already accepted the challenge to become the new BCRN student bloggers.  Again, this is not a graded activity and it is not part of our curriculum.  However, some students realize that the biggest returns in life often come from what we give.  You know the sayings like, “what goes around comes around” or “give and you shall receive.”  I’m certain that their efforts will benefit them beyond what they can imagine.  For example, blogging will improve their writing and communication skills, help them to become known in the industry, network with potential employers, which may result in a job in the future.  Several students were even recognized by the Butler Community College Board for their efforts last year.  

We may have more volunteers later, but we currently have two bloggers for the new school year:

Jon Abrahamsen 

Jon is a returning second year student.  He actually started blogging for us last year.  Jon plans to continue keeping us updated with the program and other things happening in the automotive world.

Samuel Smith

Samuel is a first year student that has volunteered his time to blog for us.  He decided to follow his passion of collision repair and enroll in our program after spending several years in the Army.  Samuel is very motivated and energetic.  I believe you’re in for a treat to read his upcoming posts.  

I commend both of these students for taking the challenge and offering their time and assistance to help me post to this blog.  I encourage you all to welcome them as well.

Business Leaders

I encourage all business leaders involved with the collision repair industry to join our new ASA Collision Repair Chapter in Wichita, Kansas.  We have had a representative from the Kansas Insurance Commissioner's Office, Vice President from ASE and many other guests to speak to our group.  Getting involved and attending these meetings is a way to stay updated with what is going on in the industry and a step towards making more money for your technicians and your business.  ASA fights in congress for topics like paint capping and blend within a panel.  The more numbers we have, the stronger our message will be.  Make a difference by joining our Wichita group.  You can check out what is going on with ASA MOKAN by visiting their newsletter called “Driving Force.”

BCRN Newsletter

We will start our BCRN newsletter again with the new school year.  I normally add a collision repair tip, fact, quote, and question section to the newsletter.  If you have a collision tip, fact, or quote send it to me.  I will use it in this section and credit you for the comment. 

Check back often as we are going to have a lot of really cool things happening this year at Butler Community College.   

The Last Day Of Summer

New School Year

This is it, teacher meetings all week starting tomorrow and students show up on the 17th.  I guess we can officially say that the summer is over and the new school year begins.  We will be cranking out new blogs about what we're up to in the classroom and in the lab.  Jon, a returning student already committed to be a blogger for us.  Look forward to blogs from Jon as we get this school year started.  Classes are full and it looks like we are off to a good start.

Wichita ASA Chapter

I encourage anyone in the collision industry to become part of the new Collision Repair ASA Chapter in Wichita.  If you didn't make it to the meeting on Tuesday 8/3/09, you missed out.  We had a guest speaker, Tony Molla, who gave a presentation to our chapter.  He is the Vice President of Communications of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).  How many times do we have people of is caliber right here in Wichita, Kansas.  Tony come to ASE with many years in the auto related industry.  He shared with us that he was the Chief Editor of Auto Body Repair News (ABRN), before joining the team at ASE.  ABRN is one of the largest publications for the collision repair industry.

Tony expressed why technicians should be ASE certified.  With proof of studies, he showed us that ASE Certified Technicians: earned more income, stayed at their jobs longer, and many other reasons to be ASE certified.  ASE Certified Shops also give customers the peace of mind that the technicians employed at the shops are qualified to work on their vehicles.  If you were going to have a heart transplant, I'm sure that you would not go to the lowest bidder.  You'd probably want the most qualified doctor to perform the operation.  Well, if your car is not repaired properly, it could put you, your entire family and others at risk.  Therefore, I believe the same amount or even more consideration should be taken when having your car repaired.  

I appreciate Tony taking the time to visit us here in Kansas.  I liked what Tony said about the importance of training.  He said, "The only thing worse then investing money in training and the employee leaving, is not investing in an employee that stays. "  With today's high-tech vehicles ongoing training is a must.  When looking for a job, be sure to look for a shop that offers training.  

What To Look For

If you're a a customer looking for a shop to have your car repaired or a new technician looking for a shop to work at, here are a few of the things you want to look for.

Is The Shop:

• ASE Blue Seal of Excellence
  
• I-Car Gold Class
• ASA
• ASA of Missouri/Kansas

All of these affiliations are signs that the business is concerned about training their employees and producing quality work for the customer.

New Website and Social Network

I just finished working on a new website.  In fact, it still needs to be tweaked a little.  I guess you're never really finished with a website.  I have several things going on and it made sense for me to put it all together on one site at DonnieSmith.org Once there, click on the collision repair link to find this blog, our videos and many other resources and groups.  There are several different collision repair social networks listed, but I have found one to be the best fit for my students and myself.   The CollisionHub.com   We have a lot of support from I-CAR, 3M, and many others willing to offer us their assistance to producing champions in the collision industry.  We plan to do a few webinars with the students to take collision repair to the next level.  It's going to be an exciting year!

Buckle your seat belts and get ready for a new exciting year at Butler Community College.