Program:
Body Works
KC Program covers all aspects of auto body repair & reconstruction
By Chris Craddock
Joel Laws has a passion for automobiles and art. And he feels that the two go hand-in-hand working in an auto body shop. This passion has led him to teach auto body technology at Kilgore College, where he says he loves every minute of the interaction with his students and hands-on instruction.
“I really enjoy teaching students all of the aspects of auto body repair industry,” Laws said. “Lots of them come in here and see all of the cool things you can do with the techniques learned in this program and they leave with great aspirations.”
Laws said that people who love artisan work, sculpture, cars of any fashion, welding or spray painting items, auto body repair just might be the right career for you.
“It is such an exciting and rewarding field,” Laws said. “Students get really excited when they see what they have accomplished in a repair job – and it is exciting for me to see them succeed.”
And Laws isn’t just a teacher of the auto body trade – he also owns his own auto body repair shop.
“I began Laws Collision in Gladewater 35 years ago,” Laws said. “My son mostly runs it today, but I still help out at the shop. It has been a great business for us, and now I can share my experience with students, so it is really a win-win situation.”
After working there for more than 30 years, Laws started an auto body program at Pine Tree High School in Longview that was an articulation program geared toward feeding students to KC’s auto body program.
“After doing that for about two-and-a-half years, I took over the program here from Terry Brewer, who began KC’s auto body program nine years ago,” Laws said. “It has been a great thing for me to be able to offer students the knowledge on how to succeed in this field. It can be very rewarding if they stick with it.”
Laws said that in his two years at KC, he has had three students open up their own auto body repair shops, and numerous others are working full time in the industry.
“Everybody who comes through the program gets hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art facility,” Laws said. “Also, everybody who completes the program will take part in a 120-hour internship at a local business.”
“I have some students who just come in and want to learn more about welding or auto body repair, and that is fine,” Laws said. “Some students aren’t looking for a career, but want to learn more about automobiles, painting or restoring cars – and that is great.”
He said that students who consider the program are typically somewhat mechanically inclined and good at problem solving.
“We get all kinds of students, both male and female,” Laws said. “Anywhere from 18 years old to folks in their 50s.”
About The Program
The Auto Body Repair Technology program at KC is a one year program, though students may also complete required courses at KC concurrently to complete an associate’s degree which the instructors encourage considering all the competition out there.
Students begin in the fall and complete courses with a 120-hour internship at a body shop the following summer. Students attend class from 8 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. three to five days a week, depending on the program.
The program was recently awarded with a perfect 5.0 National Automotive Technicians Educational Foundation (NATEF) rating in a difficult category, something Laws said is a great designation for the program – one that all NATEF auto body training facilities strive for.
“I-CAR certification is required by all major insurance companies, and I-CAR is the curriculum we follow here at Kilgore. I-CAR and NATEF go hand in hand so we were thrilled to get this high of a designation from them,” Laws said. “We wouldn’t have achieved this without the great support we get from the administration here – and the number of students that we turn out into the real world is increasing each semester.”
Kilgore offers a NATEF-certified program that covers all aspects of auto body repair and reconstruction including body-over-frame and unitized-construction. The program places emphasis on procedures used in the collision repair industry, stressing the repair and replacement of damaged sections of automobiles.
The facilities are designed with the classroom adjacent to the shop, unifying textbook knowledge with practical experience, resulting in a comprehensively trained student. Students gain experience in working with specific tools, plastics, repair technology, interior trim, welding and metal repair.
The instructor is an I-CAR trained individual with ASE certification in repair and refinishing.
Box:
AUTO BODY – FACT SHEET
What is Auto Body Repair Technology?
It is the science of repairing the damage resulting from everyday vehicle collisions so vehicles will look and drive like new. This damage may be relatively minor, such as scraped paint or a dented panel, or major, requiring the complex replacement of parts. Such repair services are performed by trained workers.
What do graduates of the program do?
Venues include collision repair shops, insurance companies and automobile auctions. Many other technicians find work in business fleets, car and truck rental, custom paint shops and dealerships. Some graduates go into business for themselves. Automotive body and related repairers, often called collision repair technicians, straighten bent bodies, remove dents, and replace crumpled parts that cannot be fixed. They repair all types of vehicles, and although some work on large trucks, buses, or tractor-trailers, most work on cars and small trucks. They can work alone, with only general direction from supervisors, or as specialists on a repair team. In some shops, helpers or apprentices assist experienced repairers.
What is the job outlook for graduates?
Outstanding. There are more openings than graduates. Kilgore College has a job placement office and the program has strong support from the collision repair industry. Employers seek out KC Auto Body Tech grads. Skilled auto body technicians have the ability to write their own ticket when it comes to employment.
How long does it take to complete the program?
One year for a certificate and two years for an Associate of Applied Science degree.
What kind of salary can graduates expect?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median salary for Automotive Body Repair Technology is $44,580. Local salaries will vary.
How do I get more information?
Contact Joel Laws at (903) 988-7594 or e-mail him: [email protected]. Additional information is also available at KC’s Auto Body Repair Technology website: www.kilgore.edu/auto_repair.asp.