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Auto Body Technician - Auto Body Refinisher |
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Technical Training Registration for this trade begins on May 18, 2012! Visit the Technical Training Centre to review the Class Schedule and registration details.
Auto body technicians in the auto body refinisher branch of the trade (auto body refinishers) do damage appraisals, surface preparation, minor damage repairs, masking, colour matching, priming and top coating.
Auto body refinishers are responsible for the restoration of anti-corrosion treatments, substrate identification, surface preparation, product mixing and application, and accurate colour matching.
Passenger safety in a unibody vehicle is dependent upon rust-free components. Auto body refinishers are involved throughout the collision-repair process, often beginning with the application of anti-corrosion compounds while the vehicle is still mounted on the frame repair equipment.
Auto body refinishers also remove and install bolt-on components such as hoods, deck lids, fenders, trim, doors, glass and interior components. A key task in the auto body refinisher trade involves applying refinish products in the correct sequence, ensuring chemical compatibility, adhesion and durability. Substrate preparation can be accomplished mechanically with abrasives or chemically as required by the job conditions.
Complex colour formulations created by automobile manufacturers require that refinishers develop a high skill level in both product chemistry and colour matching.
Auto body refinishers usually work a 40-hour, five-day week with occasional overtime required. They work indoors in a noisy, sometimes dusty, environment. Although most shops are well ventilated, the work involves exposure to dust and fumes.
There is always some risk of injury involved in working with sharp metals and power tools.
The work is most rewarding for creative decision-makers who perform expert and very precise work.
To be successful in the trade, refinishers need:
Auto body refinishers are employed by auto body repair shops, automobile and truck dealerships, custom shops and sometimes by companies with vehicle fleets.
Journeyperson wage rates vary, but generally range from $19 to $35 an hour plus benefits, depending on the region.
Experienced auto body refinishers may advance to supervisory positions, start their own businesses or become automobile damage appraisers for insurance companies.
To work as an auto body refinisher in Alberta, a person must be a registered apprentice, an Alberta-certified journeyperson, or hold a valid recognized credential. (see Recognized Trade Certificates)
Auto body refinishers learn their skills by registering with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training to participate in apprenticeship training. Upon successful completion, they are awarded the Alberta Journeyman Certificate.
An auto body refinisher who holds a valid trade certificate from Alberta or from another Canadian province or territory may apply to write the Automotive Painter Interprovincial Exam and, if successful, be granted a Red Seal under the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program. The Red Seal is recognized throughout most of Canada.
An auto body refinisher who holds a valid recognized credential that does not have a Red Seal may apply for:
Auto body refinishers who:
may be eligible to apply for trade certification under the Qualification Certificate Program.
Individuals possessing a valid Alberta Journeyman Certificate, an Alberta Qualification Certificate, an Alberta Occupational Certificate, or a valid recognized credential are eligible to receive a Blue Seal business credential after completing the necessary requirements.
The term of apprenticeship for an auto body refinisher is 2 years (two 12-month periods), including a minimum of 1600 hours of on-the-job training and 4 weeks of technical training in the first year, and 1600 hours of on-the-job training and 6 weeks of technical training in the second year.
To learn the skills required of a Auto Body Technician - Auto Body Refinisher in Alberta and be issued an Alberta Journeyman Certificate, a person must:
Most employers prefer to hire high school graduates and may select apprentices from among their current employees.
- during on-the-job training, apprentice refinishers earn at least 55 percent of the journeyperson wage rate in their place of employment in the first year, and 70 percent in the second year.
- select an educational institution that offers training for Auto Body Technician - Auto Body Refinisher apprentices, and a time to attend training
- determine requirements for enrolling at the selected institution, and forward completed enrollment form to the selected institution
An apprentice who successfully completes a program as an Auto Body Refinisher will be issued two Alberta Journeyman Certificates in the Auto Body Technician trade – one as an Auto Body Prepper and one as an Auto Body Refinisher.
Apprentices may attempt the Interprovincial Exam in the final period of their apprenticeship training and, if successful, be granted a Red Seal. (see Exam Counselling Sheets)
When apprentices attend technical training, they are required to pay the applicable tuition fee and purchase course supplies.
Grants, scholarships and other financial assistance may be available. For more information see Financial Assistance or contact an Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office.
To qualify for a Red Seal, a person must:
- an Alberta trade certificate or completion of apprenticeship certificate, OR
- a journeyperson or completion of apprenticeship certificate issued by another Canadian province or territory
To qualify for an Equivalency document based on a recognized credential, a person must:
A person who holds a valid recognized credential, as described above, does not require an Alberta Equivalency document to work in the trade in Alberta. However, some employers may require Alberta documentation as proof that the holder is allowed to work in the trade or that the holder's credential is recognized.
To qualify for a Qualification Certificate based on a recognized credential, a person must:
To qualify for an Alberta Qualification Certificate based on work experience, a person must:
- a certified auto body prepper must have at least 2,400 hours and 18 months of ‘hands-on’ work experience as an auto body refinisher
- a certified auto body repairer must have at least 2,400 hours and 18 months of ‘hands-on’ work experience as an auto body refinisher
Time spent on supervisory or foreman duties, counter work, heading the tool crib, or on a training course is NOT counted as ‘hands-on’ work experience.
This application fee covers the review of the application, the assessment and confirmation of the applicant's work experience hours/months, the administration of the applicant’s demonstration of competency, and one attempt at the Qualification Certificate theory examination. The Qualification Certificate practical examination requires a separate fee as identified on the application noted above.
