Parkland is Seventh U.S. School to Offer Innovative Program to Address Industry Talent Shortage
ST. LOUIS, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Enterprise Holdings Foundation and Ford Motor Company Fund have announced that the Parkland College Automotive Collision Repair Program in Champaign, Illinois, has been selected as the seventh school to offer the industry-leading Collision Engineering Program (CEP). The program expansion is made possible through the cross-industry partnership between the two automotive leaders announced in January.
More than 110,000 new collision technicians are needed between 2022 and 2026, according to the TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit. The CEP is a two-year apprenticeship model, founded by the Enterprise Holdings Foundation and Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, to attract and develop entry-level talent to fill essential roles within the industry. To provide the most up-to-date training available, learning is conducted both in classroom settings, as well as via apprenticeships in modern collision repair facilities, all while students earn their associate degree.
This unique model provides students the opportunity to earn an income while completing their training. For employers to participate in the program, sponsorship is required. In Champaign, Illinois, seven local employers, including leading national MSOs, have already signed up to partner with CEP and provide apprenticeships to Parkland CEP students.
“Parkland College is re-engaging the collision repair community through a newly designed apprenticeship technician training program. Technician training today requires a different approach utilizing extensive resources from the industry. Our partnership with the Collision Engineering Program has been invaluable in connecting Parkland and our students to these industry resources,” said Jon Ross, Parkland College Department Chair for Applied Sciences and Technologies. “Barriers to student enrollment can be significantly reduced when industry and education work together. Parkland is committed to serving our employer partners by adapting to changing industry training needs and joining CEP’s network of training centers gives us the opportunity to collaborate with its network and grow the collision repair industry together.”
Parkland College currently has a Ford ASSET Program, a two-year program supporting the demand for entry-level service technicians with certifications from Ford. Additionally, its proximity to several collision repair facilities, MSOs and Ford’s manufacturing plant in Chicago makes Parkland College a great school for the Program. Expanding the CEP model to Parkland students offers a significant opportunity to revitalize collision repair across the region.
Support from the Ford Fund will offer Parkland CEP students access to scholarships and will cover Program startup costs, instructor training, school equipment such as lab materials, and student-centered resources such as toolkits, uniforms, PPE, certifications, tuition assistance and assessments. Enrollment for the Parkland College Automotive Collision Repair Program is now open with classes beginning in fall 2023.
“The skills needed to obtain and retain jobs are evolving rapidly, and high-quality collision repair careers are in demand. Ford Fund is proud to partner with organizations committed to removing roadblocks and prioritizing student resource needs to become tomorrow’s collision repair professionals,” said Ford Motor Company Fund Economic Mobility Director Mike Schmidt. “The CEP program at Parkland College takes an exciting earn-as-you-learn approach to prepare students for career readiness. Together we’re building a support system around student needs, from access to scholarship opportunities to modern collision engineering facilities and tools.”
In addition to Parkland College, the CEP model is offered at Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, Missouri; College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois; Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California; Collin College in Allen, Texas; Texas State Technical College in Waco, Texas; and Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska.
“The addition of Parkland College is another important step in increasing access to quality collision engineering education for more students across the country,” said Enterprise Holdings Vice President Mary Mahoney. “We’re extremely grateful to be partnering with the Ford Motor Company through its philanthropic arm, the Ford Fund, to show how working together across our industry can make a meaningful difference in tackling the worker shortage and skills gap.”
For more information about the Collision Engineering Program, visit www.beacollisionengineer.com.
About Enterprise Holdings
Enterprise Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of mobility solutions, owning and operating the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands through its integrated global network of independent regional subsidiaries. Enterprise Holdings and its affiliates offer extensive car rental, carsharing, truck rental, fleet management, retail car sales, as well as travel management and other transportation services, to make travel easier and more convenient for customers. Privately held by the Taylor family of St. Louis, Mo., Enterprise Holdings manages a diverse fleet of more than 2.1 million vehicles through a network of nearly 10,000 fully staffed neighborhood and airport rental locations in more than 90 countries and territories.
About the Collision Engineering Program
The Collision Engineering Program (CEP) is an immersive apprenticeship training model aimed at developing a new generation of highly skilled, motivated and passionate collision repair professionals. Partnering with schools across the country, CEP facilitates an innovative and holistic training approach that brings together industry and education to provide sustainable pathways to rewarding careers in the industry. Participants in CEP benefit from a combination of industry-defined courses, certifications and hands-on training that enables them to build their knowledge while accelerating their careers.
About Ford Motor Company Fund
As the global philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, Ford Fund focuses on providing access to essential services, education for the future of work and entrepreneurship opportunities for under-resourced and underrepresented communities. Ford Fund’s partnerships and programming are designed to be responsive to unique community needs, ensuring people have equitable opportunities to move forward. Harnessing Ford’s scale, resources and mobility expertise, Ford Fund drives meaningful impact through grantmaking, Ford Resource and Engagement Centers and employee volunteerism. For more information, visit fordfund.org or join us at @FordFund on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Parkland College
Parkland College is a fully accredited public community college serving the needs of District 505, Illinois’ third largest community college district. Offering over 130 degree and certificate options for career placement or academic transfer, Parkland has provided vocational-technical skills training and traditional academic instruction to more than 350,000 students since 1967. The college’s programs keep in step with today’s careers and the employment needs of the area and feature the latest technologies in computers, agriculture, automotive, medical, media, and more. Agreements with state public and private four-year institutions ensure transferable credits, while Parkland’s partnerships with area businesses provide students with hands-on, real-world experience. The mission of Parkland College is to engage the community in learning.
SOURCE Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
