Dane Robbins, a senior at Fannin County High School in Blue Ridge, GA, transformed his apprenticeship at CARSTAR Car Crafters, also in Blue Ridge, into a stepping stone toward a promising career in collision repair. Robbins' commitment and talent were recently recognized at the state level, where he clinched the gold medal in the SkillsUSA Collision Repair Technology Competition. He will now move on to represent Georgia at the national competition this spring.
Devin Dilbeck is the automotive repair teacher at Robbins' high school. He connected with CARSTAR Car Crafters through its comprehensive apprenticeship program, which offers students invaluable resources, parts and real-world work experience. Under the guidance of Carson Beavers, who manages the program and is the son of the owner, Jeff Beavers, Robbins gained hands-on experience in a high-production collision repair environment.
Jeff Beavers, who also owns a second CARSTAR location in Blairsville, GA, has been a proactive supporter of Fannin County High School's vocational training.
“The most rewarding aspect of our involvement with the school is seeing the students take interest in vocational jobs that lead to careers,” said Jeff Beavers. “College is not for everyone, and the collision industry has many high-paying great career jobs. Also, working with the shop teacher at the high school has helped us identify ways we can help with their program, from donating cars, parts, tools and money to support the class needs.”
The collaboration between CARSTAR Car Crafters and the local high school has proven mutually beneficial, with the company committed to nurturing talent like Robbins and integrating them into their workforce.
“One of the motivating factors in partnering with our local high school is to prepare technicians for a career in the collision repair industry,” said Jeff Beavers. “Dane plans to come work with us full-time when he graduates and we are very excited to welcome him to our team. We definitely plan to hire more students as qualified candidates become available, as skilled young techs are hard to find and this creates a great opportunity to connect with them.”
For Robbins and the team at CARSTAR Car Crafters, it’s a win-win partnership that will deliver benefits for years to come. And hopefully a gold medal at the SkillsUSA National Competition.
