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In this episode of PodCrash, Matt Ebert sits down with Kyle Thompson, CEO of I-CAR, for a conversation about the future of collision repair, skilled trades, training, and why blue-collar work is becoming more technical than ever.
Kyle shares his path from working around cars and running a collision repair shop to leading I-CAR, the industry organization focused on training and standards for collision repair professionals. He and Matt talk about how quickly vehicle technology has changed, why proper training is now directly tied to safety, and why the old model of having only one or two people in the shop who know the “hard stuff” no longer works.
They also discuss the shortage of technicians, how the industry can do a better job attracting young people, why collision repair should be seen as a high-skill career, and how tools like virtual reality, mixed reality, and AI could help make training faster and more effective. It’s a conversation about the future of work, the value of skilled trades, and why the people who keep learning will have a major advantage.
