Automechanika Chicago partners with colleges, supporters to offer shop owners, technicians free training

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Automechanika Chicago and its organizers Messe Frankfurt and UBM Americas | Automotive Group (formerly Advanstar Communications, Inc.), have launched a series of single-day training programs in cooperation with leading technical colleges in select markets to help support automotive repair professionals in the service repair and collision repair markets. The FREE training programs will begin in May as part of a new "Commitment To Training" initiative supported by the generosity of industry sponsors.

"We're very fortunate to have the involvement of leading companies in the service repair and collision repair market as we continue our ongoing efforts to properly train shop owners, managers and technicians," said Jim Savas, Vice President of UBM Americas, Automotive Group. "This program, in partnership with vocational colleges in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin, will feature instructors known for providing outstanding content that can help shops keep pace with changing vehicle technology."

The "Commitment to Training" initiative is an opportunity for automotive professionals to, not only get trained on topics of their choice, but also share their passion for training by contributing their knowledge with likeminded professionals. Industry training opportunities, trends and challenges will be presented through weekly newsletters, whitepapers, eBooks, webinars and live events.

To date, two single-day training events have been scheduled and a third will be announced shortly. The first begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The second will be held Saturday, October 15, at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin. Each one-day event will feature breakfast and lunch for all attendees, as well as three-hour technical and management training classes in the morning and afternoon for collision repair and service repair audiences.

To register for the Live Training Event at Washtenaw Community College, visit www.motorage.com/WTE or www.abrn.com/WTE.

Instructors scheduled for the Washtenaw event include:

• Mike Anderson of CollisionAdvice.com will provide a keynote presentation to all attendees during breakfast, as well as his present two three-hour courses "Financial Best Practices" and his estimating course "Write it Right."
• Pete Meier, Director of Training for UBM Americas | Automotive Group, will teach "Practical Electrical and Scope Techniques."
• G. Jerry Truglia, of ATTS and TST, is one of the nation's premiere trainers on proper diagnostic processes and he will present "How to Diagnose P0420s and P0430s (Catalyst Below Threshold) DTCs" and "Critical Thinking Diagnostic Skills" for service repair technicians.
• Brad Mewes, principal at Supplement, will offer shop managers "Business Sale/Succession Planning" advice in his session.
• Larry Montanez, of P&L Consultants, a leading authority on welding and structural repair, will instruct two courses, "Advanced Materials, Metallurgy and Repairability" and "OEM Equipment Requirements, Repair Protocols and Procedures" for the collision audience.

"We are excited to be able to partner with Automechanika Chicago to bring together industry professionals and faculty as they learn the latest changes in the field," said Brandon Tucker, Dean of Advanced Technology & Public Service Careers for Washtenaw Community College. "This also allows us to showcase our world-class facilities and equipment. Partnerships like this only strengthen the skillset of our faculty and in turn the students in our programs."

Supporters of the "Commitment To Training" who are making this free training program possible include, Abaris Training Resources, CARQUEST Technical Institute, Delphi, Garmat, Global Finishing Solutions, Mitchell 1, Pico Technology, Polyvance, PPG and Schaeffler Automotive Group.

"A partnership between Fox Valley Technical College and Automechanika Chicago, allows us to showcase our modern facilities and talents to make collision repair technicians, damage appraisers and virtually anyone involved in the collision repair process, more aware of the intricacies associated with repairing damaged automobiles," says Dan Poeschel, Associate Dean – Transportation at Fox Valley Technical College. "This is a perfect opportunity for technicians to network and learn from industry experts and from each other."

The one-day training events have been developed to support the outstanding training programs at Automechanika Chicago, a training event and exposition that trained 2,000 technicians in 2015 and hosted 6,000 attendees. The show is scheduled to return July 26-28, 2017 at McCormick Place West in Chicago. To learn more about Automechanika Chicago, visit www.AutomechanikaChicago.com.

About UBM Americas 
UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc, is the largest business-to-business events and trade show organizer in the U.S. Through a range of aligned interactive physical and digital environments, UBM Americas increases business effectiveness for both customers and audiences by cultivating meaningful experiences, knowledge and connections. UBM Americas has offices spanning North and South America, and serves a variety of specialist industries with dedicated events and marketing services covering everything from fashion, tech and life sciences to advanced manufacturing, cruise shipping, specialty chemicals, powersports and automotive, concrete, hospitality, cargo transportation and more. For more information, visit: www.ubmamericas.com. 

About Automechanika Chicago^® (www.automechanikachicago.com)
Held every other year, Automechanika Chicago, is the 14th installation into Automechanika worldwide. With more than 450 exhibiting companies and 6,000 attendees, Automechanika Chicago is set to lead the industry in a showcase of the latest technology covering the entire spectrum of the automotive aftermarket industry. Messe Frankfurt, producer of Automechanika, the leading international brand of automotive trade shows has joined forces with UBM Americas, the largest U.S. tradeshow organizer, to create this extraordinary event. The next edition is set to take place July 26 - 28, 2017, and Automechanika Chicago has created the Commitment to Training initiative leading up to the event in order to advance the goal of continued automotive training.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160309/342312LOGO

SOURCE UBM Americas

Related Links

http://www.ubmamericas.com