• Part of the Trades, Manufacturing & Transportation (TMT) cluster

Overview

Auto Body is a unique type of trade environment that allows for multiple career or hobby pathways. The Auto Body courses offered will provide students with the opportunity to gain knowledge, experience and practical hands on skills in the following areas:

• Hand tools
• Pneumatic tools
• Sheet metal fabrication including bending, shrinking, stretching, and cutting
• Sheet metal welding utilizing Metal Inert Gas welders.
• Plastic and Fibreglass part work
• Bodywork
• Preparation for painting including final sanding, application of primers and masking
• Refinishing of automobiles using up to date guns and water based materials.
• Final Detail for delivery

The majority of the teaching is done in an industry-standard auto body shop setting. Theory lessons compliment the terms and procedures students will use in the shop environment. As the student works through projects and the confidence in their skills develop. The program adapts and provides different learning opportunities. New technologies continue to emerge in industry and the training offered will continue to evolve. Through learning and experience in auto body, students will become aware of related career opportunities or hobby skills in this field.

Program Delivery

In the Explore group, students work on one vehicle panel (hood, fender, and/or door). They create the heavy damage that they will repair before going through the metal repair, body filler, primer and custom paint stages. At the end of the course this panel is theirs to keep and take home. Students also do other projects to break up the focus on their major panel. Students are also taught to clean and detail a vehicle for the customers that come into the facility for that service. 

In the Specialized group, customer work becomes a major project in the course. The students learn to estimate damage and repair multiple panels in a short amount of time. It is at this level that other projects highlight other important areas in auto body.  Such as: Plastic Bumpers, custom panel fabrication and professional paint jobs. 

After customer work has been completed, simple short repairs may be allowed on student vehicles. In the Credentialed group, Customer work is the focus of the course. The course goes more into depth about structural integrity of automobiles, damage analysis, glass and heavy damage repair. At this level students take a complete car and repair it in a short amount of time. 

Projects at this level include structural welding of automotive sheet, metal, building replacement panels and custom paint jobs. After customer work has been completed, repairs to a complete student vehicle may be allowed. In the Auto Body Apprenticeship group, Customer work is paramount along with direct instruction through post-secondary module work.  Focus will be directed at the modules required for study and the skills that come with them. Students will prepare themselves for the writing of the first year auto body apprenticeship exam. 

Each program consists of a number of single credit courses, each taking a varied amount of time to complete. There is some flexibility should students gain proficiency at an accelerated rate, and they can achieve extra credit with additional project work.

Safety & Teamwork

Students will be required to follow and apply safe working procedures to maintain shop privileges. Briefly, this includes wearing coveralls and safety glasses at all times, following safety procedures for the use of tools, and safe handling and disposition of all materials. 

For example, primer is not sprayed in the shop area but is confined to the paint booth for health and safety reasons. Unsafe practices endanger everyone and will not be tolerated.

Students are also expected to learn how to work well with others in a team setting, focus on their tasks at hand and follow instructions from teacher and trade staff. Regular attendance and punctuality are critical as that emulates an industry site environment in auto body.

Supplies

Please see our Fees page.