New Automotive Technician Training Program Launches at Sandhills Community College

The Collision Engineering program is expanding to include Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, North Carolina. This program, developed by the Enterprise Mobility Foundation and Ranken Technical College, aims to address the shortage of skilled technicians in the automotive collision industry. It is expected to help fill more than 110,000 job openings by 2027.

Sandhills Community College will add this program to its Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology curriculum. The program follows a two-year apprenticeship model, alternating between eight weeks of classroom instruction and eight weeks of paid apprenticeship with local employers. This structure allows students to apply their skills in real-world settings while they learn.

Brian Garner, chair of the Transportation Department at Sandhills, stated that the apprenticeship model provides a strong start for careers in the automotive collision industry by combining classroom learning with practical experience. The program aims to directly lead to employment opportunities, enhancing students' career prospects.

This expansion introduces the program to the Southeast for the first time, adding to its presence in institutions like Ranken Technical College and others across the country. John Helterbrand, the National Program Director for Collision Engineering, mentioned that this move is part of a strategy to meet regional workforce needs and improve training through industry-education partnerships.

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