The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) on April 25 announced the creation of a new, optional Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) career path for collision repair professionals.
“This new optional ADAS technician role represents an incredible win for advancing the collision repair industry amid today’s `tsunami’ of highly complex vehicle repairs and is calibrated with I-CAR’s ADAS Technical Leadership Strategic Response,” explained John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO and president.
Van Alstyne said creation of the ADAS technician role has been in development since 2019, involving the critical inputs across all segments of the industry.
“I-CAR takes great care in defining industry roles; they are clearly spelled out in I-CAR’s Automotive Collision Repair Industry Knowledge and Skills Protocol,” he said. “Serving as the ‘de facto’ industry standard for baseline training requirements, the I-CAR protocol further defines in detail the requisite knowledge and skills each key industry repair role must possess, in this case related to ADAS repairs. The protocol in turn sets the guide rails for Platinum™ credentialing and the roadmap for all corresponding curriculum development, including our growing and technically deep ADAS portfolio.
“As with all of I-CAR’s educational programming, we followed an intentionally robust and thorough R&D process, gathering as much input as possible from all facets of the industry—from the shop floor/technicians to our OEM and insurance networks, to I-CAR’s expansive bench of technical subject matter experts as well as our Product Development Advisory Council members—which is why we couldn’t be prouder of the output of these essential and incredibly collaborative efforts,” Van Alstyne explained.
Added Jeff Peevy, I-CAR vice president of technical products, programs and services: “The new role is a direct response to accelerating industry needs to one of the fastest-growing and most technically demanding repair considerations inside the nations’ repair shops today—and that’s ADAS repairs.
“The need for ADAS-specific technical skills and knowledge cannot be overstated and aligns with…