April 2008 Regional News Releases
ICBC partners to recruit youth — April 7
ICBC partners to recruit youth — April 7
With a shortage in the autobody industry, ICBC organizes recruitment fair
Facing an impending shortage in the autobody industry, ICBC has teamed up with the College of New Caledonia's (CNC) Career Technical (CTC) program and local business partners to attract students into the field.
Today, fifty hand-picked students from School District 57, Prince George attended the Metal Heads Autobody Career Fair to educate and encourage them to consider a career in the autobody industry. Students were bussed to CNC where they spent the day interacting with experts from the field and trying out skills needed for a potential employment in the field.
The first of its kind, the career fair has garnered huge support both locally and province-wide, including a generous grant from the Automotive Retailers Association. ICBC Material Damage manager, Roger Allen, has been impressed by the support he's received in organizing the event. "Working with ICBC's HR department, we acknowledged that a labour shortage is inevitable. Instead of waiting for it to happen, we decided to take a proactive approach in recruiting young people into the field."
CNC's Brink building was transformed into an interactive playground for the young autobody enthusiasts, where they alternated between stations including welding, windshield replacement, sheet metal repair, and informational sessions about each facet of the field. Students learned about a variety of career paths, from estimating at ICBC, to detail specialization, to shop management.
ICBC didn't have to convince Tim Powers to participate. The coordinator for the Central Interior Regional Career and Technical Centre at CNC had the same idea. "We have a huge opportunity at the high school level to attract and inform students of the career options available to them. This is an interactive and informative way to entice them into an extremely realistic field for many of them."
ICBC works closely with its business partners to ensure and provide the best services for its insurance customers, but this is the first time they have worked together for the common goal of future employee recruitment. Organizers hope to create a model that can be replicated throughout the province.
For more information, including the poster and brochure, visit: www.cnc.bc.ca/ctc and click on the METAL HEADS link.
Media Contacts:
Ryan Detwiller
250-979-4612
