Hoffman Estates, Ill. (December 18,2025) –
Educating the next generation of collision repair professionals is no easy feat! Instructors must keep students engaged with hands-on training that mimics what they’ll experience in the field once they graduate and embark on their journey into a successful collision career. With many schools facing budgetary limitations, collision repair programs often struggle to obtain the tools and equipment needed to prepare their students for the future, and it’s particularly difficult for instructors to acquire funding to purchase modern vehicles that allow them to train these future technicians on the advanced technology prevalent in today’s cars.
A new vehicle donation program – created in partnership between the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Ford Motor Company, the Collision Engineering Career Alliance (Collision Engineering) and I-CAR – seeks to alleviate this challenge by facilitating vehicle donations nationwide that will help strengthen technician training programs and prepare students to enter the workforce with a clearer understanding of the complexity of modern vehicle technology and how to properly repair the vehicles they’ll encounter once they graduate and join the industry as entry-level technicians.
“Collision instructors across the country have shared that their number one need is having current model vehicles for their students to practice on, and this vehicle donation program is a significant step forward our efforts to enhance collision repair education,” shares CREF Executive Director Brandon Eckenrode. “This is a perfect example of a donation that truly allows students to learn, practice and hone the important skills that lead to rewarding careers in the collision repair industry. Real-world, hands-on experience is a vital component of the learning process, and Ford’s donation is helping to make that possible for thousands of future industry professionals.”
These donated vehicles will serve as valuable training tools, allowing students to gain hands-on experience with modern automotive systems and prepare for real-world repair scenarios. This initiative aligns with CREF’s mission to support collision repair educational programs and schools while empowering students to build meaningful careers in the industry and with Ford’s purpose of building a better world “where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.”
“Every student deserves the opportunity to learn with modern technology,” insists Andrew McInnes, Ford Motor Company. “Partnering with CREF, I-CAR and the Collision Engineering Career Alliance represents an incredible opportunity to support the education and growth of future collision repair technicians who dream of a fulfilling career. This initiative aligns with our shared goal of fostering a pipeline of skilled professionals who are prepared to meet the evolving needs of the automotive industry.”
This new vehicle donation program also complements I-CAR’s recent launch of I-CAR Academy which provides accessible and relevant collision repair education to help students and schools excel. Through access to the latest technologies and repair techniques, I-CAR helps connect classroom learning with real-world application. This support enhances the educational experience and contributes to preparing students for a career in the evolving collision repair industry.
Already, this initiative has provided 31 late-model Ford vehicles to 16 educational institutions across the country, with the goal of enhancing hands-on learning opportunities for students pursuing careers in automotive collision repair by enabling them to mirror the same jobs and responsibilities they will encounter in their future careers. Currently, over 1,000 students are enrolled in these programs, but future classes will also train for their future vocation using these vehicles, easily increasing the impact of this donation to include several thousand more future collision professionals.
The following six participants of the Collision Engineering program will each receive two vehicles:
- College of Lake County (Grayslake, IL)
- Contra Costa College (San Pablo, CA)
- El Camino College (Torrance, CA)
- Metropolitan Community College (Elkhorn, NE)
- Parkland College (Champaign, IL)
- Sandhills Community College (Pinehurst, NC)
Of the 16 schools selected to receive vehicles through this new initiative, several utilize I-CAR Academy curriculum, as follows:
- Dos Palos High School (Dos Palos, CA)
- Eden Area ROP (Hayward, CA)
- Forbes Road CTC (Monroeville, PA)
- Lockhart High School (Lockhart, TX)
- Ogden High School (Ogden, UT)
- Ranken Technical College (St. Louis, MO)
- Regional Career Technical Center (Ypsilanti, MI)
- Western Maricopa Education Center (Glendale, AZ)
Seven of these schools received two vehicles each, while one vehicle was donated to Regional Career Technical Center.
An additional two schools that are unaffiliated with either of the aforementioned initiatives each received two vehicles to support their educational efforts. They are:
- Delaware County Technical High School (Folcroft, PA)
- Norwalk High School (Norwalk, CA)
“We are extremely grateful of our industry partners who are committed to increasing access to the latest vehicle technology and repair procedures to build a stable, skilled and supported workforce by aligning education with the needs of industry,” said Mary Mahoney, vice president for Enterprise Mobility and chair of the Collision Engineering Career Alliance board. “Our strategic partners help scale our national impact and drive our mission to provide a strong pipeline of skilled technicians who are confident in the shop and connected to their future in collision repair.”
By ensuring that students begin their training equipped with the tools and resources they need to succeed, these donations enable students to learn on newer vehicles with current technology which will place them in the position to become more useful entry-level technicians when they enter the field. Together, these efforts foster the development of qualified, entry-level professionals and bridge the gap between education and the diverse career opportunities available in collision repair.
“These schools are training the next wave of technicians for our industry’s pipeline,” Andrew McInnes points out. “Investing in the industry’s future begins with investing in these future technicians and ensuring they have the resources to grow their skills and fill the roles needed in shops across the country. We need students to be prepared to enter workforce, and given the advanced technology of modern vehicles, that means ensuring they are well-trained in the most current methods is critical. The vehicles donated by Ford are equipped with the newest technology, which will provide students with the opportunity to train on the cutting-edge of the industry.”
This partnership represents a major milestone in CREF, Ford, Collision Engineering and I-CAR’s collective efforts to brighten the future for students and the automotive industry, and looking forward, this initiative is paving the way for greater OEM donations in the future, leading to more enriching and comprehensive training opportunities across the industry.
“The value of this donation goes beyond the dollars and cents; it is an investment in the next generation of collision professionals which will empower them to hone their skills and inspire them to feel that they’re truly a vital part of this amazing industry,” Eckenrode adds. “We are grateful to Ford and I-CAR for their generous support and commitment to fostering the next generation of collision repair professionals and giving them access to state-of-the-art vehicles which will better prepare them for their imminent collision careers.”
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.
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About CREF: The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org. Follow us on social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. If you would like more information about this topic or any of CREF’s initiatives, please email info@ed-foundation.org.
About I-CAR: Founded in 1979, I-CAR is a not-for-profit education, knowledge, and solutions organization designed to support the evolving needs of the Collision Repair Inter-Industry. I-CAR, which is accredited by IACET (International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training) is focused on improving the quality and safety of auto collision repair for the ultimate benefit of both the industry and the consumer. For more information, please visit i-car.com.
About the Collision Engineering Career Alliance: With foundational support provided by the Enterprise Mobility Foundation, the Collision Engineering Career Alliance is an industry catalyst for addressing the ongoing technician shortage in collision repair. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization works to unite industry and education, remove barriers and foster sustainable pathways to rewarding collision repair careers. Through philanthropic contributions and an innovative, holistic training approach, the Collision Engineering Career Alliance empowers schools across the U.S. to recruit, support and equip students for the future of vehicle repair through industry-defined courses, certifications and hands-on training that enables them to build their knowledge while accelerating their careers.