I‑CAR to expand career pathways for Illinois high school students

This year’s Illinois pilot will serve as the foundation for a planned national rollout in the 2026–27 school year

Hoffman Estates, Ill.—With more Illinois students seeking affordable, technology‑forward career paths, I‑CAR has launched new statewide programs that introduce high school learners to the engineering, scientific, and advanced technologies behind modern automotive repair.

I-CAR is offering these programs through grants funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).

Illinois is serving as the launch for I-CAR’s new high school pre-apprenticeship program, giving students early, hands-on exposure to diagnostics, electronics, materials science, and the repair procedures used in today’s clean-energy and advanced-technology vehicles.

A pre‑apprenticeship prepares someone with basic skills to qualify for an apprenticeship, while an apprenticeship is paid, on‑the‑job training that leads to an industry credential. This year’s Illinois pilot will serve as the foundation for a planned national rollout in the 2026–27 school year.

Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, students at participating Illinois high schools will be able to complete I‑CAR’s Electric and Alternative Energy Vehicle Badge through the training organization’s I‑CAR Academy entry level technician learning platform.

Eligible students who complete the badge will receive professional tool kits, directly addressing one of the most common barriers to entry in technical and skilled-trade fields. This sets students up to seamlessly transition into a school or worksite training and apprenticeship program on I-CAR’s platform upon graduation. 

As part of the initiative, I-CAR is also offering incentive packages to Illinois repair centers to help them recruit, train, and retain entry-level employees through its Department of Labor-backed Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) model, strengthening the employer side of the talent pipeline alongside the student-facing programs.

The Department of Labor helps shops by making sure workers have fair protections, clear rights, and equal access to job opportunities. I-CAR’s Registered Apprenticeship Program, which launched in 2025, created a consistent, nationally recognized path for automotive apprentices, elevating the career and the program to a level consistent with many of America’s other skilled trades with which the industry competes for talent. 

“Automotive collision repair has become a high‑tech, STEM‑based profession and skilled workers are critical to keeping drivers safe and America moving,” said Dara Goroff, VP of Product Management for I-CAR. “Students are working with the same technologies found in engineering labs and advanced manufacturing — from advanced metal materials to digital diagnostics and ADAS calibration. These new opportunities come at the perfect time, as more young people search for affordable, sustainable career options.”

Today’s collision repair technicians use skills rooted in:

• Engineering and physics, including structural analysis and repair

• Electronics and computer diagnostics

• Advanced materials science, from aluminum to composites

• ADAS and sensor calibration technologies

• High‑voltage electric and alternative‑energy platforms

I‑CAR’s training programs are built around continuous learning to keep pace with rapidly evolving vehicle technology. Through its nationally recognized Gold Class (for businesses) and Platinum (for individual technicians) recognition programs, I‑CAR helps ensure that collision repair shops and their professionals stay current on the procedures required to deliver complete, safe and quality repairs. 

The new initiatives for Illinois are expected to:

• Build a stronger, more sustainable talent pipeline for Illinois’ collision repair industry.

• Provide high school students with earlier access to STEM‑based, hands‑on learning.

• Reduce training and equipment costs for students entering technical fields.

• Support Illinois employers with more career‑ready, entry‑level workers.

• Strengthen pathways to Registered Apprenticeship Programs, community college programs and long‑term careers.

“Students want opportunities that are affordable, relevant and connected to real jobs,” said Goroff. “Illinois is helping lead the way by giving young people early access to one of the most technologically advanced skilled trades in the country.”