Hoffman Estates, Ill. –
After Nichols Career Center won a $50,000 Makeover Grant from the Collision Repair Education Foundation in 2012, the school received over $90,000 in tools and equipment as a result of the industry’s generosity, but the experience also strengthened the school’s relationships with local collision industry professionals. “You have to have that connection; the students need to know what’s going on in the industry, and the industry needs to know what’s happening in the classroom,” said Dennis Bruemmer, collision repair instructor at Nichols Career Center in Jefferson City, Missouri. “Students need guidance, and they appreciate receiving it.”“It’s hard to put into words what the Makeover Grant has done for us,” Bruemmer stated, listing the various ways the collision program “put every dollar to good use.” In addition to repairs made to the school’s paint booth, NCC received a portable Air Island prep station, a Pro Spot I5 welder, over $5,000 worth of shop tools from Ingersoll Rand, and miscellaneous hand tools. “Ingersoll Rand really stepped up and went above and beyond for us,” Bruemmer noted.The nitrogen plastic welder from Urethane Supply Co. is still in use at the schools and “allows us to do a better job teaching plastic repair,” according to Bruemmer. “We also received paint from Rust-Oleum for our floors and from Sherwin-Williams for our walls.” An important item on Bruemmer’s wishlist when he applied for CREF’s Makeover Grant was the request for $5,000 in paint toners. After NCC won the grant, a local paint supplier offered a complete paint mixing system, but before accepting, Bruemmer discussed the offer with his current supplier, DuPont Performance Coatings. He recalled, “DuPont not only gave us a new paint mixing machine, but also all the toners with a backup for each color, along with all the hardeners, activators, and reducers. Now,I have a reserve, so I can order a new one when we start using the reserve, and I never run out or have to rush to pick more up.” “Our relationship with the Foundation has gone beyond the Makeover Grant, though,” Bruemmer continued. “We receive donations each year, like tape and other disposables, that allow us to replenish supplies and continue to improve our collision repair program. And although we’ve always had a high level of interest from students, the donations definitely impact students’ morale, too. When we receive donations, we put them on display, and the students can’t wait to see what we get; they think it’s awesome that the industry invests in their education.” When purchasing supplies for NCC’s collision repair program, Bruemmer tries to “support the companies that are supporting the Foundation. When someone takes care of you, you try to take care of them in return. It’s just good business sense.” As a former shop owner, Bruemmer understands the value of developing strong relationships with the industry. He served on NCC’s advisory committee prior to sharing his knowledge as an instructor and is proud that the school continues to have a strong advisory committee with many industry professionals participating. When he first transitioned to his new career path, “The biggest problem I had as assuming kids knew stuff, but I learned that you can’t assume they know anything. It was a challenge to learn how to teach those who’ve had some exposure alongside those with no exposure to the industry, while keeping them all on the same level,” Bruemmer shared. “There’s so much more to teaching collision repair than there was even ten years ago with vast amounts of technological advances happening almost every day.” NCC teaches I-CAR curriculum because it provides an easier transition for students after graduation, whether they continue their education at a post-secondary institution, or if they begin their careers in a shop. “A lot of industry professionals recognize I-CAR training, so there’s value in that, and it helps the industry that their new employee already has some of these credits. Our goal is to get students to ProLevel 1 refinish in the first year and then to ProLevel 1 non-structural by their second year.” Although Bruemmer retired at the end of the 2020-2021 school years, after teaching for 23 years, his replacement is a former post-secondary teacher and current I-CAR instructor. Bruemmer is optimistic that NCC’s “program will be very strong for many years to come.” Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development, at 312-231-0258 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.###If you would like more information about this topic, please email info@ed-foundation.org
