05/20/2026

U.S. Department of Labor Recognizes Collision Engineering Career Alliance for National Apprenticeship Standards

Source: Body Shop Business

The Collision Engineering Career Alliance (Collision Engineering) announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has recognized its apprenticeship model as the standard for training and certifying collision engineering technicians.

Approval of these guidelines advances Collision Engineering’s mission to address increasing demand for a highly skilled collision repair workforce by bringing together education and industry to transform how collision repair technicians are trained and retained. The National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards (NGS) certification is a model for developing local programs that meet all regulatory requirements under federal law with the Office of Apprenticeship.

“The Department of Labor’s approval of our National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards is a defining moment for Collision Engineering,” said John Helterbrand, national program director of the Collision Engineering Career Alliance. “It validates the work we have done to align education and industry, and it ensures students and employers alike can access a pathway that is nationally recognized and sustainable for the future. This is how we build the next generation of our workforce.”

Collision Engineering students benefit from a two-year associate degree program designed around a hybrid, work-based learning model. Students rotate every eight weeks between classroom instruction and paid apprenticeships at qualified collision repair facilities, graduating with the skills needed to advance their careers. With this award, graduates also earn a nationally recognized Collision Engineering Technician Certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor.

“Our program, which is creating the next generation of highly skilled collision repair professionals, thrives due to solid industry partnerships with others who are committed to strengthening the future of collision repair,” said Mary Mahoney, president of the Collision Engineering Career Alliance. “These standards will provide communities across the country a pathway to expand and elevate collision engineering training for colleges, students and employers, helping to ensure long-term program sustainability.”

The Collision Engineering Career Alliance is active at partner schools across the country, including College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill.; Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Calif.; Parkland College in Champaign, Ill.; Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Neb.; Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, N.C.; North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, North Dakota; and El Camino College in Torrance, Calif.

For more information on Collision Engineering Career Alliance, visit beacollisionengineer.com.