Fighting the decline in smash repairs

As a teacher in the Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology (AUR32416) program at CIT Adrian draws on over 20 years of experience in the automotive spray painting and refinishing industry to create courses that better suit students, while also keeping them up to date with the latest industry developments.

Adrian said, "I worked to introduce new teaching technology into the program such as video and audio learning and demonstrational resources, along with more flexible assessment and self-paced classes. This allows students to fully absorb the learning material at a pace that suits them."

Adrian noted that a number of students coming through the program were earlier school leavers, some of whom had lower numeracy and literacy skills.

"This new flexible approach means I can spend more one-on-one time with students, and the audio and video resources have helped students with lower reading and comprehension skills," Adrian said.

Starting as an apprentice spray painter in 1996, Adrian has established connections with the automotive refinishing industry, including a number of local businesses specialising in automotive repair. During his time in the industry he worked as a lead spray painter and then manager at auto repair shops, and also as sales manager for a paint distribution business.

These connections allow him to keep students up to date with new products, repair methods, technology and techniques in the industry, meaning they have the best chance to succeed in the workforce. His strong connections with industry also help create links between current students and their future employers. Adrian strongly believes Vocational Education and Training (VET) is the catalyst for improvement in the automotive spray painting and refinishing industry, and he is pleased to see his students' hard work pay off.

"Last year 11 students completed a Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology (AUR32416). This represents a completion rate of nearly 75 per cent," he said.

Learn more about Panel and Paint qualifications at CIT.