In 1991, the Collision Repair Education Foundation was established as a way to effectively address the chronic shortage of well-trained entry-level employees for the collision industry. Its mission: The development, promotion, and distribution of a curriculum program – I-CAR Live or Advance-Tech - the designed to provide interested individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level employment in collision repair shops.

In the United States, nearly two-thirds of collision repair schools use the curriculum.

But the foundation did not stop with the I-CAR Live or Advance-Tech curriculum. With secondary and post-secondary schools nationwide unable to provide their students with standard collision training programs and the students themselves unable to finance their studies in the field, the foundation became a philanthropic organization. With industry donors, the foundation provides grants for collision education both for schools and students.

The foundation’s efforts are paying off in many ways. The collision industry now enjoys more entry-level technicians armed with the necessary knowledge and skills to be productive, effective and efficient employees.