Repair Planning Software Donations Help Students Develop the Skills for a Collision Career – and Showcase Their Talents at SkillsUSA!

Created for Collision Repair Education Foundation

Successful collision repair professionals need to know a lot to keep pace in today’s rapidly advancing industry, and just as the various components of a vehicle are often interrelated, so are the skill sets that students are encouraged to develop. Repair planning, in particular, offers repairers insights into other aspects of the collision world, and mastering this skill can open the doors to unforeseen opportunities.

This has certainly been the case for industry professional Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins. As a student, she was fortunate to have access to repair planning software – thanks to the partnership between the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) and Audatex, CCC and Mitchell – during her education, and the knowledge she acquired allowed her to place first in Damage Analysis during the 2019 Texas State SkillsUSA Competition.

After graduation, Stimmel-Watkins worked in a shop as a diagnostic technician, focused on ADAS. “Using repair planning software was a vital part of my job. When a vehicle first came into the shop, I would use the software to review details about the vehicle, including which ADAS systems may have been impacted by the accident, and analyzing that data allowed me to determine what needed to be done to properly repair the vehicle,” she explains. “I wouldn’t have been able to excel at those tasks if I hadn’t gained experience with that software during school.”

Technicians who lack that exposure during their education rarely get the chance to learn about it in the workplace. “A lot of technicians can read a repair order, but they are unfamiliar with navigating the repair planning software,” Stimmel-Watkins notes. “That can be limiting in a collision career. I cannot imagine what my career path would have been like if I hadn’t had access to that software as a student; it would have kept so many doors closed for me.”

That realization influenced Stimmel-Watkins’ later career as a college collision instructor. “I always stressed the importance of learning the software to my students. Even if they didn’t want to become an estimator, I helped them understand that knowledge is the biggest advantage they can have – the more you know, the more you’re worth and the more you can get paid. A lot of software includes the repair procedures, and technicians need to understand the repair process. Because it was so valuable to me as a technician, I filled out the application to ensure my students had access as well, and we were so grateful to receive a donation of an entire shop flow system, which allowed our program to operate like a real-life shop.”

Studying collision repair requires students to learn a lot before they enter the workforce – collision instructors include lessons on everything from bodywork to refinishing to estimating, but to best prepare students for a successful career, they need to be able to provide access to the latest and greatest tools, equipment and software which these young industry professionals can expect to encounter in the shops where they go to work. Unfortunately, schools’ limited budgets often create barriers to instructors’ endeavors to expose students to modern tools, equipment and software, but luckily, thousands of students around the country are able to learn on the same software widely used by the collision repair facilities and insurance carriers where they will be working in the future – at no cost to the school or students – thanks to the generosity of Audatex, a Solera Company; CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. (CCC); and Mitchell, an Enlyte company, who all partner with CREF to support secondary and post-secondary students by donating software subscriptions.

Other instructors who have received software donations for their programs share feedback similar to Stimmel-Watkins’.

“As instructors, we try our best to replicate as many real-life collision repairs as possible, and access to repair planning software helps us better prepare students for joining the collision repair industry’s workforce,” says Chad Crum, instructor at Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Knoxville, TN. “Using this software has become essential and helps ease the transition from class to industry since the students are training with the same software they will encounter in their future employment. Once they leave school, they are more comfortable working in the industry because they understand the software.”

Crum credits access to the software for helping one of his students place second in Damage Analysis at the 2024 SkillsUSA National Competition. “Without this donation, it would have been very difficult to achieve such a victory, and this student’s success proves how these donations are helping to transform the lives of our students!”

Ryan Byrne, instructor at Chantilly High School in Chantilly, VA, agrees. “Access to this software provide students with valuable hands-on experience with industry standard tools which creates more accuracy and efficiency in estimating as well as increasing familiarity with the insurance and claims process. Once they graduate, that experience allows for a more streamlined transition into the workplace.”

Graduates from Dennis Technical Center (Boise, ID) have experienced the benefits of getting the opportunity to learn on estimating software in the classroom, according to collision repair instructor Scott Moore. “One of last year’s graduates works as an estimator in a local shop. I placed him there for a job shadowing exercise, and although the shop was hesitant to allow a student to do estimates at first, he excelled at the task. They were very impressed with how much he knew coming in from the high school level, but he has a talent for damage analysis; in fact, he placed first in our state SkillsUSA competition. Another former student worked as a painter for a couple years, but when an estimating job opened up in his shop, he demonstrated his knowledge and moved into that position with ease.”

Moore feels it’s important for students to get exposure to as many different roles in the collision industry as possible. “They don’t always have to be a bodyman or painter; I want them to understand there are other career paths available to them in this field.”

Before exploring the estimating software, Moore’s students begin by learning to write estimates manually to ensure they’re familiar with the process and know how to write a blueprint if the software isn’t available. Then, he introduces them to the software. “Most students take to it very fast because it’s like a video game, and this generation tends to be proficient with anything electronic. After they graduate, it’s helpful for them to understand how to navigate that software intelligently, even if they don’t become estimators.”

In 2024 alone, over 10,000 future collision repair professionals had the opportunity to learn on current estimating software, thanks to these donations which were distributed to 543 schools in 47 states across the country.

“Providing students with access to current technology is imperative to their success when they join the workforce,” insists CREF Director of Operations and Impact Melissa Marscin. “Learning up-to-date techniques on modern equipment provides them with a solid foundation for beginning their careers, but unfortunately, collision schools’ budgetary constraints often limit instructors’ ability to invest in those programs for their classrooms without the industry’s support. The free subscriptions donated by Audatex, CCC and Mitchell allow these students to gain familiarity with the same programs that they’re likely to encounter after graduation, and the Foundation is very grateful to these providers for their ongoing generosity as these donations allow us to continue providing the next generation of technicians, estimators and suppliers with this invaluable opportunity.”

“At Solera | Audatex, we believe that collaboration and partnerships across businesses, education and government are key to building a pipeline of skilled talent,” says Bill Brower, SVP of Global Industry Relations and Claims Solutions, Solera. “We’re proud to support the automotive industry and the next generation of technicians – empowering shops, educators and future workers with tools to succeed in a rapidly evolving field.”

Audatex’s generous software donations are part of the company’s collaboration with the Foundation on the Audatex Educational Institutions Program, which also provides eligible schools with access to online courses and training, a custom curriculum that includes CEUs, I-CAR points and technical support. This partnership has provided Audatex estimating software to over 300 schools’ collision repair programs, a number that increases each year. In 2024 alone, 29 schools in 18 states received Audatex software.

“At CCC, we believe the future of the collision repair industry depends on investing in people,” says Andreas Hecht, Senior Vice President of Mobility at CCC Intelligent Solutions. “We recognized early on that the long-term success of the collision repair industry depends on a steady flow of skilled professionals. Through our long-standing partnership with CREF, we’re helping ensure that students and schools have access to the same advanced estimating and repair planning technology used in today’s repair shops. Whether it’s through software donations, scholarships or classroom enhancements, our goal is to help more students enter the workforce with confidence and be prepared for the complexities of modern vehicle repairs.”

CCC is a founding member of CREF and has helped tens of thousands of students from more than 500 schools through its generous donation of software, onsite and virtual training, and world-class technical support services, delivered at no cost to the students or schools. Last year, 385 schools in 47 states received free CCC ONE Estimating software. The company also grants 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.

“The collision industry is facing two critical challenges: increasingly complex vehicles and a shortage of skilled technicians,” said Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell. “Through our collaboration with CREF, we are introducing tomorrow’s repair professionals to today’s leading-edge technology – giving them hands-on experience writing estimates and performing proper and safe automobile repairs.”

In 2024, Mitchell provided students at 129 participating schools in 38 states with free access to its estimating software, Mitchell Cloud Estimating. The software works seamlessly with the company’s cloud-based product suite and integrated solutions for diagnostic scanning and ADAS calibrations. This gives future collision repairers essential training on technologies used in the field to help improve efficiency and safely return collision-damaged vehicles to the road.

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.