I-CAR returned to the SEMA Show in 2024, its 15th consecutive year at the annual automotive aftermarket trade show, to share its cutting-edge education and training initiatives for collision repair professionals.
Virtual Reality Training
I-CAR brought collision repair education into the next digital frontier with a demonstration of its latest Virtual Reality (VR) training experience currently in development.
VR technology makes advanced training more accessible than ever, and accelerates skill development by simulating real-world scenarios, allowing technicians to practice hands-on techniques in a risk-free environment. VR training also boosts technicians' confidence and readiness, equipping them to solve complex challenges quicker and more accurately.
“There’s a lot of opportunity in that VR space,” said Arianna Sherlock, associate vice president of marketing for I-CAR. “I-CAR has been working on it, to bring training in a virtual but hands-on way.”
The VR program on display at the SEMA Show simulates high-voltage EV repairs modeled after I-CAR’s EV cart, which is equipped with various components that mimic real EV systems, providing a controlled environment for students to understand the complexities of EV technology, diagnostics and repair techniques.
Participants who tested the VR experience at SEMA had the unique opportunity to apply their newly acquired skills on an in-person EV cart immediately afterward, to get immediate feedback, allowing them to gauge their performance and see the direct impact of their virtual training.
In a news release, I-CAR said Incorporating the VR training with I-CAR’s full range of curriculum and delivery methods gives technicians and shop owners a comprehensive learning experience.
More VR-based areas of instruction are on the horizon, said Elizabeth Prosser, senior marketing manager.
I-CAR Academy
SEMA attendees could also learn about the brand new I-CAR Academy and the latest enhancements to the myI-CAR digital platform.
Earlier in the week, I-CAR Academy, a comprehensive entry-level curriculum designed to support both new technicians and the shops that employ them, was named the winner of the New Product Award in the Collision Repair & Refinish category.
In addition to the curriculum, I-CAR Academy includes human resources best practices, instructor guides for CTE educators using the program in schools, and mentorship guides for a tech doing on-the-job training in a shop.
“It bridges the education from what a technician can learn in a trade school to what they would learn working on the job in a shop, so it doesn’t matter at what point in an education path someone is, if they go from a school to their employer, they will have equal, consistent standardized education,” said Dara Goroff, vice president of planning and industry talent programming for I-CAR.
I-CAR’s RTS App was also a finalist in the same New Product Award category.
