Oct. 22, 2013—The Collision Repair Education Foundation announced Monday a new initiative to help link members of its Industry Leadership Circle to high school and college collision students looking for entry-level employment.

As part of the initiative, any industry members who join the Leadership Circle before Dec. 31, will have their entry-level employment opportunities showcased by the Education Foundation to aspiring industry professionals.

A $1,000 tax-deductible donation is required to join. Businesses with multiple store locations are asked to donated $1,000 for the first shop and $500 for each additional location. Donations are used to support high school and college collision students and instructors who are facing severely reduced program budgets.

“As the industry is seeking out properly trained entry-level workers, we will be assisting our donors in distributing their employment opportunities to high school and college collision school programs not only locally but also across the country,” said Brandon Eckenrode, director of development for the Education Foundation. “We look forward to taking this level of support to the next level by offering this benefit to our supporters.”

All businesses interested in joining the Industry Leadership Circle should contact Eckenrode at 847.463.5244. To learn more about the organization, visit CollisionEducationFoundation.org.