School Profile
<<< <<<
Business Class Georgian College’s Automotive Business School focuses on leadership and management By Josh White
T
echnical skills are the mainstay of the collision repair industry, but the business needs leaders and managers as well. An individual with both technical aptitude and an understanding of management principles is sure to go far. Georgian College is home to the Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC), offering programs focused on the business side of the automotive aftermarket. ABSC began in 1985, offering a two-year Automotive Business Diploma program designed for entry-level to mid-level management positions. In 2003, the school took it a step further and began offering a four-year Honours Bachelor of Business Administrations Degree for automotive management. The four-year degree expands beyond the two-year program, diving into toplevel management and strategy. Between the two programs, the school receives roughly 250 new students every
year. Lecture-based courses generally have between 20 and 60 students per class. In the labs and more hands-on classes, there are fewer students per class, allowing for more one-on-one interaction with the instructor. Joe Lauzon is the Marketing Specialist at Georgian College. In recent interview with Bodyworx Professional, Joe detailed the school’s objectives. “Students gain a business education, but specialized in the automotive industry, focusing primarily on three main sectors: dealerships/ retail, aftermarket and manufacturer,” said Lauzon. “They gain business skills as well as very specialized skills around sales, fixed operations and dealer management systems. Students have an opportunity to meet and connect with the industry to gain employment prior to graduation through networking events, industry conferences and up to twelve months of paid co-op work.”
ABOVE: ABSC students at the 2017 Georgian Auto Show. It is the largest outdoor student-run automotive show in North America.
august 2017 bodyworx professional
43