When the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the Standard Pro Training team sensed change and shifted its focus to providing educational content to technicians as well as the SMP salesforce
For Ryan Kooiman, director of training at Standard Motor Products (SMP), conducting educational classes on automotive technology is not a new practice. He and his team of automotive technical trainers typically conduct more than 2,100 in-person classes annually, reaching more than 60,000 technicians throughout North America. These seminars give professional technicians access to relevant, practical training based on real-world case studies.
And prior to joining SMP, Kooiman was the lead technician and drivability specialist for a 20-bay independent shop in Michigan as well as the founder of the West Michigan Auto Repair Society. He now oversees the entire Standard Pro Training program and is still an ASE Master Certified technician.
“I’ve worked in the bay and understand that professional technicians work all day, and then do their best to keep up with new automotive technologies, tools, and techniques at night,” said Kooiman. “Therefore, we deliver practical, specific, expert advice to help maximize technicians’ time.”
Standard Pro Training On-Site is a reality-based technician training program focused on the needs of the aftermarket professional automotive technician. When the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in facility lockdowns, reduced travel, and increased focus on personal health and safety, the Standard Pro Training team sensed change and shifted its focus to providing educational content to professional technicians as well as the SMP salesforce.
Not only was the Standard Pro Training team able to assist its own sales team, it also utilized the “down” time to connect with SMP’s customer base to also provide additional training in a virtual environment.
As Kooiman said, the future, and current environment, of automotive technical training is based on utilizing best practices to deliver high-quality training virtually.
“We’ve always been known for conducting thorough, in-person training course. When the COVID-19 pandemic started and we saw that shutdown coming, we really had to make a major transition to a completely virtual environment,” added Kooiman. “We’ve been trying new things and, to be honest, we started training an entirely new group of technicians that we’ve never reached before.”
In addition to its Standard Pro Training curriculum, SMP offers hundreds of professional automotive training videos on YouTube. Launched in 2010, its YouTube channel now has more than 24,000 subscribers and counting.
“Even though we launched our YouTube Channel years before, our true online training kicked off in 2018 but wasn’t our major focus,” said Kooiman. “2020 forced us to take advantage of the tools and technologies that we have available today.”
One way SMP was able to do so was by developing its Automotive Education Program (AEP). The AEP is designed to assist instructors and help automotive technology students develop professional skills they can use in the bay. This program offers supplemental training for students, while providing an opportunity for them to earn gifts and help their instructor outfit the classroom. Since its launch in September 2020, more than 1,000 technical students have already “learned and earned” through Level 1 of the program.
AEP Level 1 kicks off with a series of four videos that explore ignition coil issues, testing, and tips. When a student successfully passes the quiz, they receive a certificate and a gift package. Once five students in a class are successful, SMP sends the instructor a pack of posters, countermats, and more to outfit the classroom. This also unlocks access to 10 of SMP’s Pro Training On-Demand videos and downloadable handouts. Many instructors are using these professional sessions in the classroom, virtual classroom, or assign students to watch on their own.
“Although we thrive in being in-person with our attendees, we have really enjoyed working through this program and have plans to expand our Automotive Education Program to cover additional vehicle systems,” said Kooiman.
Getting involved is easy. Instructors go to www.SMPAutoEducation.com to create an account and build their class. The system will generate a unique code and URL that instructors can then send to their students. When students register, they join their instructor’s AEP classroom.
For now, the Standard Pro Training team will continue to conduct training in a virtual environment, hoping that they will be able to be back in the classroom soon.
“Technicians really enjoy the in-person, hands-on environment,” Kooiman said. “Once we’re able to get back to that way of doing business, our team will be ready.”
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