FenderBender joined industry VIPs Oct. 11 to attend the grand opening of the 3M Skills Development Center, a new 15,000-square-foot training facility in St. Paul, Minnesota. As FenderBender found in the 2023 Industry Survey Report, 34 percent of shop owners believe finding qualified technicians is the single biggest challenge they face.
“With rapidly changing vehicle technology and a shortage of qualified collision repair technicians, investment in training is crucial to today’s aftermarket”, said Dave Gunderson, president, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “Whether technicians are here to deepen their skills, challenge their own experiences, or learn from experts to broaden their knowledge of collision repair, we want the 3M Skills Development Center to be the source of continuing education for industry leaders.”
The new center has the capacity to accommodate over 100 training sessions a year to over 1,000 technicians and associated industry professionals.
“The 3M Skills Development Center takes our training to a new level and helps give technicians the capabilities they need to upskill their talents and exceed value for their shops,” said Jason Scharton, senior manager, Global Expertise Delivery, 3M. “We firmly believe that the best trained teams deliver the best results. Nurturing your talent through continued training and education is an invaluable return on investment.”
