GEORGIAN COLLEGE GETS SUPERCHARGED
Georgian College has been making strides to equip its students with the skills needed for tomorrow’s auto industry, and a recent half-million- dollar investment from OVIN’s Regional Future Workforce Program will surely provide a leg-up. This $500,000 grant from the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) will introduce immersive learning opportunities that allow students to use extended reality (XR) software to learn the basics of electric vehicle operations. Rob Theriault, technical lead of Georgian College’s immersive technology department expects this combined augmented/virtual reality experience to be able to accommodate more than 1,000 students, including Grade 10 through 12 students from across the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) and Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board.
FREE LEARNING
With a steadily growing number of EVs in the Canadian car parc, refinishing jobs for these vehicles are becoming far more common for the average collision repair shop, and Global Finishing Solutions wants to make sure those jobs are done safely. The automotive paint equipment developer released a free guide to safe and efficient electric vehicle refinishing, delving deep into the growing market share occupied by these vehicles and how shops can take advantage. Of note to refinishers, however, is the detailed explanation of the heat tolerances of many EVs and the alternative curing methods they must employ to paint these vehicles safely and effectively.
EV EDUCATION, GILES STYLE
David Giles, co-founder of All EV Canada and longtime EV educator, has formed a new business venture: PoweredEV Training and Consulting. “We are a global consulting company with over 20 years of experience in strategic planning and course development for electric vehicles,” Giles wrote on LinkedIn. “We work in the world of electric and hydrogen transportation to build a sustainable future.” Giles has more than 30 years of experience in collision repair, is Red Seal AST certified and has worked on hybrid/electric vehicles for more than 15 years. He will serve as president of PoweredEV Training and Consulting.
READ UP ON RIVIAN
A bevy of Rivian repair documentation has found its way onto the online procedure repository, OEM1Stop, including position statements and service guidelines. While the EV brand’s futuristic pickup trucks are by no means widespread in Canada at this point, it’s better to be safe than sorry should one roll into your repair shop any time soon. Position statements listed on OEM1Stop include documentation on windshield and glass repair, clearcoat blending, paintless dent repair and replacement parts.
