The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) says the Workshop of the Future Pavilion at the Collision Repair Expo (CRE) has been designed to help the repair industry transition to new generation vehicles.
According to the AAAA, the pavilion will resemble a future workshop and offer a complimentary training programme on important topics delivered by industry experts.
“As the industry changes, the automotive technician as we know it today will need to evolve to combine the existing skills of technicians and vehicle repairers, with a new knowledge of electronics, advanced diagnostics and EV service and repair techniques,” said Stuart Charity, CEO of the AAAA.
“Likewise, the workshops of the future need to be designed with new generation equipment to cater to these increasingly complex, technologically driven, and alternatively powered vehicles. The Workshop of the Future Pavilion is the only place to see this all together in one place.”
According to the AAAA, the pavilion also offers an opportunity to engage with a young audience that is in-tune with electronics and the internet.
“The Workshop of the Future Pavilion is a ground-breaking achievement for our industry,” said Charity. “For anyone in the trade wanting a head start on the future, or for young people looking to see how rewarding and interesting a future career in the industry could look, the upcoming Collision Repair Expo is the place to be.”
Five Workshop of the Future education sessions will be conducted daily. ‘The Customer Experience’ session will focus on customer connectivity and be presented by Peter Rogers, National Manager of Repco Authorised Service. The ‘Running My Workshop’ seminar will be hosted by Lesley Yates, the AAAA’s Director of Advocacy, and covers how to become ‘EV ready’ and achieve EV accreditation. Jeff Smit, Technical Editor of ‘The Automotive Technician’, will speak at the ‘Working on Vehicles of the Future’ session which will explain mindset, process and technical capability.
The two other sessions are ‘Workshop Equipment and Pass-Through Technology’, which covers the skills and equipment technicians will need, presented by Brendan Sorenson, Director at ‘The Automotive Technician’, and ‘Working with ADAS Technology’ which focuses on vehicle calibration, presented by Darren Todd, Senior Technical Trainer at Robert Bosch.
The Workshop of the Future Pavilion sessions compliment the official expo seminar series, which cover topics including Mandatory Data Sharing, EV, the skills shortage, and business development.
The CRE will run in conjunction with the Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo on 7 to 9 April 2022 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Registration is free of charge to anyone in the trade. The AAAA said prior registration is essential and can be done at www.collisionrepair.com.au.