Skills Canada Technology Summit

Shown from left to right are:

Annabelle Cormack, President of Cormack Recruitment, David Adams, President of Global Automakers of Canada, Jason Dale, Executive Director of Automotive Business School of Canada, Georgian College, Leanne Jefferies, Director of Skills Canada Collision Repair Program, our own Shannon Trites, Executive Director of the Automotive Sector Council of Nova Scotia, Paul Stella, Manager, Collision Repair & Refinish, Toyota, and Scott Wideman, Collision Program Manager for Volkswagen Group Canada Inc.

During the Skills Canada National Competition May 27 & 28 here in Halifax, the Automotive Sector Council invited all parts of our industry to attend the Technology Summit. Among the speakers, top OEM (original equipment manufacturer) executives spoke about what is coming down the pipeline for our industry at a high level, which was relevant both to service and repair as well as collision.

“I really enjoyed hearing from Jason Dale,” says Shannon Hall, who has 17 years of experience in the automotive industry. “I found him very engaging, and his focus on getting people in the industry was quite unique.”

Local shop owners were given the rare opportunity to hear from National industry speakers, and at no cost, the value of this afternoon was shared in feedback from attendees.

“One of the most surprising things I learned was how quickly autonomous vehicles are moving into the industry,” says Hall. “Training will be especially important on these new vehicles, especially in the aftermarket.”

If you couldn’t attend the event, don’t worry! The speakers were recorded, and the videos will be posted to the website, so keep an eye out for lots of great information at no cost to you! If you are interested in hearing more information about the industry, come join us in September for our annual Expo.