These events provide a platform for shops to showcase the diverse career paths available—from high-tech diagnostics to management and insurance roles
Hoffman Estates, Ill.—As the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) prepares to kick off its Spring 2026 High School and College Transportation Student Career Fair circuit, local industry leaders are speaking out on the transformative power of school involvement.
Dean Benner, Director of Operations for 3D Collision Centers in Pennsylvania, is challenging fellow shop owners to move beyond traditional hiring methods and embrace the “live job interview” environment offered by local vocational-technical programs.
With six locations in the region, the 3D team has built a robust workforce by recruiting directly from the Technical College High School (TCHS) Brandywine Career Fair and through local Auto Career Experience (ACE) events. His experience proves that students coming out of these collision repair educational programs are no longer just “learning the basics”—they are becoming specialized professionals.
“We have former students working throughout our company, from parts departments to the head painter at one of our main locations,” says Benner, noting that he is also a graduate of TCHS Brandywine. “These kids come in with the drive to work their way up. It’s not just about finding a body man or a painter anymore. Our industry now requires calibration technicians, estimators and parts specialists. Career fairs allow us to find kids who are great with computers or have a knack for logistics, even if they aren’t traditional hands-on techs.”
For 3D Collision Centers, involvement starts long before the career fair doors open. By serving on the ACE Planning Committee and participating in advisory boards, Benner helps ensure that vocational curriculum keeps pace with the rapid technological shifts in automotive repair.
“I wish more shop owners realized that local vo-techs are hungry for industry input,” Benner notes. “When you go in to judge a SkillsUSA competition or classroom scoring event, you’re getting a firsthand glimpse of a student’s potential. It’s essentially a live job interview. You get to see their work ethic and technical aptitude before they even graduate.”
Addressing the common industry complaint regarding labor shortages, Benner offers a direct solution: Participation. “Join local advisory boards, host field trips to your shop or volunteer as a judge for the SkillsUSA competitions … Just get involved.”
Shop owners must recognize that their involvement is a long-term investment, rather than seeing it as a short-term hurdle. “You get out of it what you put into it,” Benner says. “Training a student might seem painful in the beginning, but in the long term, they become the loyal, high-performing employees that grow your business. If you aren’t involved with the schools, you can’t complain that there’s no one to hire.”
Write your own success story by participating in one of CREF’s upcoming career fairs, which connect hundreds of students with local and national employers. These events provide a platform for shops to showcase the diverse career paths available—from high-tech diagnostics to management and insurance roles.
Spring 2026 High School & College Transportation Student Career Fair Schedule
- March 24: Hawkeye Community College (Waterloo, IA)
- April 7: Indiana State Fairgrounds (Indianapolis, IN)
- April 23: Collin College (Dallas, TX)
- April 28: 3M Training Facility (St. Paul, MN)
- May 6: West-MEC (Phoenix, AZ)
- May 7: Universal Technical Institute (Long Beach, CA)
- May 15: Bucks County Technical High School (Fairless Hills, PA)
Stay tuned for updates to the schedule at collisionrepaireducationfoundation.org/events.
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, or sign up for The Donation Exchange to easily provide in-kind resources that collision repair schools and students desperately need.
Comments are closed.