The collision repair program at Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania recently had the opportunity for 20 of its students to tour a local collision repair center, the Lewistown Sentinel reports.
The students were invited by Lake Dealerships in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, to tour Lake’s Collision Repair Center on April 25. Students had the opportunity to see a real, live workplace, which a classroom can’t offer.
Hosted by the facility’s manager Nikki Wieger and estimator Greg McGinnis, the students saw demonstrations on plastic welding, painting, painting techniques and estimating, according to the Academy’s Administrative Director, Barry King, who came with the group on the tour. Lake’s Collision also donated a 2015 Ford Focus for students to use for instruction on panel repair.
King insists that it’s important to teach young technicians about the intricacies of the work they can encounter, especially as vehicles become more electrified and complex.
“Electric and hybrid vehicles are fast becoming a significant portion of the vehicles we will be seeing,” stated King. “The EV battery and electric cables present a lot of challenges in the future and technicians will have to be trained. It is a very complex industry.”
