Hoffman Estates, Ill. (February 3, 2025) – Collision repair is a fast-paced industry that offers a fascinating career path for young people, especially as advancing technology like ADAS and AI piques their interest, but as any industry professional can attest, investing in these innovations is expensive, creating a significant barrier for instructors who already struggle …

Collision Instructors: Fund Your Program by Applying for a 2025 CREF Benchmark Grant! Read More »

“Dress for success.” This is a common expression with multiple implications – others may gauge someone’s professionalism based on their appearance, but more importantly, donning the right apparel can affect how we feel about ourselves and give us a sense of pride, a consideration that is especially true for future collision repair students who often …

Professionalism and Pride: CCA Donates Student Uniforms to Lexington Technology Center Through CREF Read More »

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (January 8, 2025) – Tackling the cost of tuition can seem like an overwhelming obstacle for aspiring collision repair professionals – and that’s before they start stocking their toolboxes with the key tools needed in order to actually collect a paycheck…fortunately, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) continues to help alleviate that …

Tuition and Tools to Empower Future Collision Repairers: CREF Opens 2025 Scholarship Applications Read More »

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (December 18 2024) – Collision repair professionals love coming together “fore” a good cause, and the 2024 CREF Cup Competition, held at Topgolf in Schaumburg, IL on November 21, offered a memorable evening of competition and comradery while raising funds to support the industry’s future generation. Caliber Collision’s team earned bragging rights …

Congratulations to the 2024 CREF Cup Champions! Read More »

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (November 26, 2024) – Collision repair requires a highly technical skill set…but it also demands a certain amount of creativity and inspiration. Those attributes are precisely what the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) seeks to elicit and celebrate each year with its Art Meets Automotive Competition! Now in its third year, Art …

CREF Celebrates Creativity: 2024 Art Meets Automotive Winners Read More »

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (November 18, 2024) – When a large group of people work together for a common goal, they can make a HUGE impact! Collision repair organizations have proven the truth of this sentiment through their continuing support of the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s (CREF) Benchmark Grant program. Thanks to the generosity multiple industry …

Collision Schools Receive Over Half a Million Dollars via CREF’s 2024 Benchmark Grants to Support More Than 4,000 Future Repairers Read More »

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (November 2024) – The collision repair industry offers a vast array of career opportunities for those interested in the field, though not all young people realize the variety of options at their fingertips. The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) seeks to highlight the many different choices available by its multitude of endeavor, …

CREF’s Support Ensures Collision Professional Acquires Full View of Collision Career Opportunities Read More »

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (October 2024) – All too often, collision students enter the industry for a short time and then abandon their collision career aspirations for other fields. The need to create long-lasting connections to his industry is apparent and something the Collision Repair Education Foundation seeks to accomplish through its many initiatives. The success …

CREF Reconnects with Collision Professional Who Attended First CREF Career Fair Read More »