From Roots to STEM: Instructor Seeks to Improve Perception of Industry, Promotes Career Potential of Collision Engineering
Curated for the Collision Repair Education Foundation
When Brian Foster first planted his roots in the collision repair industry as a 14-year-old kid in the 1980s, vehicles were different – and so were the skills required to repair them. “You became a body man or a mechanic if you couldn’t do anything else,” he recalls. However, that’s no longer the case as advancing technology necessitates an increasingly higher level of knowledge and competence to safely restore these mobile computers to their pre-accident condition. And that’s the mentality Foster brings to the classroom as the collision instructor at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, NC.
“There’s a significant amount of engineering that’s involved in manufacturing modern vehicles, and when a car is wrecked, that process needs to be revisited,” he points out, explaining that his students are “not training to become ‘bodymen;’ they are learning the skills necessary to become collision repair engineers. If we’re completing safe and proper repairs, it starts with going through that same engineering process that the OEM did when they built the car.”
With over 40 years of experience in the collision field, Foster has explored just about every possible area of the industry. Getting his start in high school with a part-time job sweeping floors, he was fortunate to find a mentor who introduced him to cosmetic repairs and refinish work, leading to a two-decade career in various shops where he worked as a painter, service writer and shop manager. After spending several years managing an appraisal firm, Foster received a call from Blue Ridge Community College’s Dean of Advanced Technology, who was seeking an estimating teacher; however, the breadth of Foster’s knowledge soon led to a request to run the school’s expanding collision and refinish technology program.
“I never saw myself becoming a teacher, but once I started teaching in 2021, I discovered that I truly enjoyed it. There’s something magical about watching a student’s face light up when he or she finally grasps how to perform a task we’ve been working on,” he shares, remembering how excited he was to help the program “make a shift toward providing a true collision repair education. I knew that many shops in this market were in desperate need of qualified technicians, and this was a wonderful opportunity to help fill that void. I started my career sweeping floors and was mentored into the collision repairer I’ve become, and this was my ‘full circle’ moment – I was now in a position to give back to the industry that has given my family and me so much. There’s no better way to do that than by mentoring and educating the future of this profession; it’s a blessing to be able to make a difference in my students’ futures.”
One of the most pervasive factors holding the industry back is the perception that many have about what it means to be a collision repairer, Foster believes. “People often believe this is the same environment it was when I started out – a dirty shop where employees beat metal, spray primer and go home covered in filth each day. There’s a really negative perception about what we do, and that image prevents a lot of folks from seeing how much has changed. We’ve done a horrible job of advocating for ourselves as an industry, so no one truly understands how complicated this job has become; they’re convinced that it’s still the same as it was 40 or 50 years ago, and that’s simply untrue. We need to change the perception of collision repair to help the public understand what life is like in the shop in the 2020s.”
Today’s collision repair industry truly is much more complex than it was in the past; while there’s still plenty of manual labor involved, a lot of mental exercise is also required to keep up with this quickly advancing STEM field. “STEM certainly plays a large role in collision repair,” Foster observes. “We use science to drill into the chemical makeup of colors, sealers and clearcoats; each is made of multiple components that react in specific ways based on the atomization process, and if we don’t correctly follow the processes for that product, those components aren’t going to do their jobs correctly.
“Automotive technology changes daily, and we have to work hard to keep pace with that,” he adds. “The whole process is about engineering – collision engineers need to have access to the original manufacturer’s procedures in order to properly restore that vehicle. And math factors in through the calculations required to write the repair plan as well as in weighing out products.”
Even as Foster strives to teach his students to become collision engineers, he recognizes that the continual technological advancements require him to pursue ongoing education as well to ensure that he’s sharing the most current knowledge and information available. He has plans to attend Autel’s 16-hour ADAS calibrations class in December. “ADAS was just starting to become common while I was working in the shop, and now it’s so prevalent that ‘calibrations technician’ has become a new role which attracts a different caliber of student. We need to capitalize on how that technology opens our industry to a whole new group of students who love computers and are interested in engineering.”
And Foster is seeing evidence of that firsthand. “We’re seeing more highly educated students move into the collision industry, and we’re also seeing more diversity in terms of a broader age demographic – my classroom includes everything from high school students to students in their 40s who are interested in changing careers. More women are also interested in this field, and I encourage that because women often excel in areas that men aren’t as proficient. Unfortunately, a lot of women who might be interested in collision don’t recognize the opportunity in this field since it’s traditionally been so male dominated.”
Foster’s efforts to educate the future generation of collision repair professionals start with getting them interested in this field. Each year, Blue Ridge Community College hosts a career fair at the school to showcase the various programs, allowing over a thousand high school juniors from all over Henderson County to tour three different study areas; however, Foster is convinced that targeting high school juniors isn’t as effective as it could be since many of them have already decided what they plan to do after graduation. “By that age, most of them already have a pretty firm idea of what career they want to pursue, and it’s pretty difficult to convince them (and their parents) to change their minds. A lot of them have been convinced that they’ll only be successful if they obtain a four-year degree, and although I know a college degree is not a prerequisite for success, it’s very challenging to change this mindset so late in the game.”
Recognizing this, Foster developed a way to reach potential students at a much younger age. In 2024, Blue Ridge Community College’s collision repair program began hosting a two-day summer camp for middle school students. “Using model cars, we explain the refinish process and teach them about sanding, masking and prepping a vehicle – and then they get to suit up to spray their own cars!” Foster explains. “We pull out all the fun pearls and electric colors, and they get to create something all their own with flames, stripes or whatever sparks their imagination. They learn that they can have a lot of fun in the spray booth, and it gets them to think about how great it would be to make a living while doing something they enjoy.”
But it’s also important to educate the students’ parents about the opportunities that exist in collision repair. “Camp ends with a graduation ceremony where we invite the parents to come in to celebrate their children’s accomplishments, which gives us an opportunity to showcase the technology used and demonstrate what collision repair actually entails these days. That goes a long way toward changing the adults’ perception of the industry. Additionally, it allows us to highlight the fact that high school students can attend our classes free of charge, thus beginning their post-secondary education before they’ve graduated high school. That holds a lot of appeal and can help influence a parent’s decision as they contemplate their child’s high school path.”
Juggling nearly a dozen middle school students is no small feat, and Foster is grateful to Blue Ridge Color Company for volunteering a technician to help with the summer camp. Industry involvement makes a huge difference in his ability to not only attract new students but to educate the ones already enrolled in his course, and Blue Ridge Community College’s collision program has been fortunate to receive support from a number of industry organizations. “Working with a limited budget can be challenging,” Foster acknowledges, offering praise to organizations like the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) which strives to equip collision educational programs with the tools they need to empower the next generation of collision engineers.
As a past applicant for CREF’s Benchmark Awards, Blue Ridge Community College has received a number of consumables including sandpaper, tape, masking paper and other supplies. “Teaching students to perform repair tasks requires a lot of consumables, so it doesn’t take long to exhaust what we can afford on our own. These donations allow the students to make mistakes and learn better application techniques while they’re in the classroom instead of when they’re working in shops after graduation.”
Graduating skilled collision engineers is the goal at Blue Ridge Community College, and that extends to the estimating classes where students learn proper repair planning methodology using the same software that they’re likely to encounter in their future careers. Thanks to the generosity of CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. (CCC) in collaboration with CREF, Blue Ridge Community College doesn’t have to worry about that annual expense of over $20,000; CCC’s donation of software, onsite and virtual training, and world-class technical support services provides students with access to its leading solution to connect repairers to automaker repair procedures and its mobile estimating solution, which allows estimates to be written right at the car. “This type of hands-on experience provides vital training and prepares students for employers’ expectations. By gaining familiarity with the software that they’re likely to use when they start working in a collision repair facility, they’re able to enhance their efficiency in writing accurate blueprints which allows for a more streamlined transition into the workforce.”
Foster also enjoys support from local professionals who help reinforce and expand upon the lessons he’s teaching. He applauds Kyle Bradshaw (K&M Collision; Hickory, NC) who “comes into the classroom at least once each year to teach a blueprinting class with our estimating students, demonstrating how to use various systems to capture necessary procedures on the estimate. That type of support is crucial for any collision repair program. When collision professionals share their insights about repair, it reaffirms what I’ve been teaching them and takes it to a whole new level, giving me something to build on for the rest of the semester.”
Blue Ridge Community College has also received donations from the Carolinas Collision Association, FujiSpray, Gerson, PPG and Lombard. “They’ve all been great. Our students are able to earn a vocational student painting certificate through PPG, and Lombard has been instrumental in spending an entire day on campus every year to explain dent pulling procedures and teach structural students more about spot welding various materials. We recently received a spray gun from FujiSpray, and after posting a video of a student using that equipment, I received a call from Andrew McCall at Gerson; he noticed that she was wearing a Gerson respirator and offered to help by giving a PPE presentation and donating full-face respirators to our program. BMW also provided students with a tour of their STEP Program which seems like a really great opportunity for the students who wish to pursue it after graduation.”
These contributions go a long way toward making sure Blue Ridge Community College graduates have the knowledge and skills to successfully enter the collision workforce, but it’s also a win for the companies that donate time, energy and resources. “These companies understand that they will thrive if our industry thrives, which only happens if programs like ours can continue to produce quality collision repair engineers. And we need their help to do that,” Foster points out. “I applaud the collision businesses that recognize how much schools need simple supplies and work with CREF to distribute materials to the schools that need them most.”
At the same time, schools need more localized support in the form of advisory board participation. “Our advisory committee has been great!” Foster shares. “They’ve been really supportive in explaining what they need from entry-level employees so I can target my lessons to meet those needs. Their advice holds a lot of weight with the powers that be – if the industry says we need this equipment or to provide more training on a certain skill, it’s easier to get approval because those recommendations serve as evidence of what’s in our students’ best interests, allowing us to tailor our curriculum accordingly. I feel very blessed to have such an active advisory board, with several members who have been consistent since I started teaching.”
Still, Foster hopes to see that participation evolve, though he recognizes that many shop owners simply don’t have the time to commit. He encourages them to look at it as an investment. “I constantly hear how shops need more qualified help, but they’re unwilling to get involved to make sure their local schools are equipped to produce the graduates they so desperately need. If you earn $20 and pocket it, it’s never going to be worth more than $20; however, if you invest it, you could turn it into $30, $40 or even $50. The only way to generate a return is to make an investment. Likewise, these students will only become the entry-level collision engineers that our industry needs if an investment is made in their futures. No investment, no return.
“Instead of complaining about the lack of technicians entering the industry, shops should invest in their own future by supporting the programs that are producing hirable assets,” he suggests. “I wish more industry employers recognized the value of partnering with their local schools to help ensure students are receiving a solid education that will benefit not only those young collision engineers but also the businesses that hire them.”
Foster is convinced that more shops would get involved if they were aware of the impact that they can make. “This wonderful industry is filled with amazing people. I cannot think of a time that I’ve asked for help and been refused. But if you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it. I’m not ashamed to ask for anything that will benefit my students and others like them, so I’m asking the industry on behalf of my program and others like mine around the country: Please get involved with CREF and your local schools to support our future collision engineers!”
That type of engagement from the industry results in another huge benefit for the industry. It creates loyalty from these young collision professionals and leads to improved employee retention. Of the students who have graduated from Foster’s classes over the past four years, nearly 90 percent are still working in collision repair facilities; the others are still engaged in other areas of the automotive industry. Foster tries to identify the best fit for his students while they’re enrolled in his program. “Students often begin their collision education with a specific desire, but that doesn’t mean that’s where they’ll thrive. Capitalizing on my years of management experience, I try to assess where they’ll have the more success and offer advice without discouraging their dream. I’ve taught students who originally wanted to be a body technician or a refinish professional, but they were talented repair planners. Two of them are now lead estimators for different shops and love what they do. When they got a chance to experience that role, they found a new dream; giving them that opportunity to explore the possibilities allow them to find a niche they’re more apt to pursue.”
Having a well-rounded program that includes work-based learning is key in making that assessment and helping students evaluate the various opportunities that exist in this diverse field. “Seniors are required to earn a class credit through working in a shop for 10 hours a week to get that real-world experience that truly helps them understand what life will be like after graduation. By providing them with a solid educational foundation, they’re able to be viable assets, and most of them graduate with an employment offer from those shops.”
Foster is passionate about guiding the next generation of collision repair engineers as they prepare for their career, but he realizes that his influence only goes so far. “If you want to know who is going to make you successful in life, just look in the mirror. It’s not about a certificate or a degree; it’s about drive, determination and a willingness to seek out opportunities to better yourself in your chosen field. The collision industry is not just a job – it’s a profession that requires skill, precision, and a deep understanding of both traditional craftsmanship and modern technology, and my goal is to ensure that every student who comes through our program not only gains the technical knowledge they need but also the confidence and connections to succeed in this dynamic field which offers incredible opportunities for those who are dedicated and passionate about their work.”
Information about Blue Ridge Community College’s collision repair and refinishing technology program can be found at blueridge.edu/collision.
Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist high school and college collision repair training programs can Contact Us to learn about the many ways to get involved. Monetary donations can be made online.
