New ventures and offerings

McGee did have plenty of positive developments to announce at the meeting. While the meeting was under way, for example, I-CAR posted to its website (www.i-car.com) a newly-developed vehicle sectioning guide.

"We've been working through the I-CAR Tech Center with State Farm Research and [Allstate-owned] Tech-Cor to develop a vehicle sectioning or partial sectioning matrix," McGee said. "Now the industry can go free of charge to determine: 'Can I section this car or not?'"

Along with listing what sectioning procedures are available for various vehicles, the web-based guide includes links to the appropriate OEM or other websites where the sectioning information is available.

I-CAR has also continued to expand its relationships with automakers, which McGee said is helping bring more vehicle and repair information to the entire industry, in part through an increasing number of vehicle-specific training courses.

"It makes sense with the technology changes that are going on," he said. "And the training is not limited to the car manufacturers. We're doing more training for independent collision repair businesses than we are dealers."

He said I-CAR is also taking steps to simplify its "Gold Class Professionals" and "Platinum Individual" programs, which recognize those that maintain high levels of technical training. The revised requirements are the same for all technicians, for example. In order to obtain the Gold Class Professionals designation, all technicians and estimators at a shop, for example, will be required to have completed five tested I-CAR courses as well as any two additional tested courses each year.

I-CAR's "alternative delivery" systems, McGee said, are also beginning to take off. It includes a library of self-study courses online, and through WebEx a schedule of classes people can listen in and view from their shop or office and even interact with the instructor through the Internet and phone. He said use of these training options is still a bit below what was expected, but he believes some lack of awareness of their availability may be one cause of that.

"We are dealing, I also think, with some demographics issues as well," he said. "Most technicians at 34 or 38 years old are not real comfortable on computers. So as you start to see a younger generation come in, we'll see use of it pick-up."

I-CAR is also beginning to expand internationally, with more activity in New Zealand and an effort to launch in Australia this fall.

McGee was also very pleased to see one of his longer-term goals for I-CAR move closer to reality this year with a deal that will enable the industry to receive credit for I-CAR training toward associates or bachelors degrees through the University of Phoenix. Teresa Hutchinson, a corporate liaison with the University, said a student with completed I-CAR training may receive up to 30 transfer units, which can knock as much as a year and $10,000 to $15,000 off the cost of a degree through the University of Phoenix's online programs or at 190 campus locations.

Details and a course transfer guide can be obtained through a special joint website (www.uopx.com/icar), or by calling Hutchinson at (800) 433-2490, ext. 71740.

John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988.