7322 Motor vehicle body repairers
Category: Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
Major Group 73 : Maintenance and equipment operation trades
Motor vehicle body repairers repair and restore damaged motor vehicle body parts and interior finishing; repaint body surfaces; and repair and/or replace automotive glass. They are employed by automobile dealerships, automobile body repair shops and automobile appraisal centres. This unit group also includes metal repairers who repair defective automobile body parts and damage to the bodies of newly assembled cars. They are employed by motor vehicle manufacturers.
Example Titles
autobody repairer
automotive body mechanic
automotive glass technician
automotive painter – motor vehicle repair
automotive painter apprentice
metal finisher – motor vehicle manufacturing
metal repairer – motor vehicle manufacturing
motor vehicle body repairer apprentice
motor vehicle body technician – truck
painter – motor vehicle repair
Main duties
Workers in this unit group perform some or all of the following duties:
- Review damage report and estimates of repair cost and plan work to be performed
- Repair and replace front end components, body components, doors and frame and underbody components
- Hammer out dents, buckles and other defects using blocks and hammers
- Operate soldering equipment or use plastic filler to fill holes, dents and seams
- Remove damaged fenders, panels and grills using wrenches and cutting torch and bolt or weld replacement parts into place
- Straighten bent frames using frame and underbody pulling and anchoring equipment
- File, grind and sand repaired body surfaces using hand and power tools
- Mask and tape auto body surfaces in preparation for painting
- Mix paint, blend and match colors
- Apply primers and repaint surfaces using brush or spray guns
- Repair and replace glass components such as windshields, windows and sunroofs
- Repair or replace interior components, such as seat frame assembly, carpets and floorboard insulation
- Inspect repaired vehicles and test drive vehicles for proper handling.
Employment requirements
Motor vehicle body repairers
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three- to four-year motor vehicle body repair apprenticeship program
or
A combination of over three years of work experience in the motor vehicle body repair trade and completion of a high school or college automotive body repair program is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification for motor vehicle body repair (metal and paint) is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
- Auto body repairer and painter certification is compulsory in Quebec and auto body repairer certification is compulsory in Ontario and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified motor vehicle body repairers (metal and paint) upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Automotive painters
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a two- to three-year automotive painter apprenticeship program
or
A combination of one year of work experience in the automotive painter trade and completion of a high school or college automotive painting program is usually required for automotive painter trade certification.
- Automotive painter certification is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified automotive painters upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Automotive glass installers and repairers
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Auto glass industry certification is usually required.
- Apprenticeship training and trade certification for automotive glass technicians is available, but voluntary, in Alberta and British Columbia.
Metal repairers, motor vehicle manufacturing
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- One to two years of on-the-job training are provided.
Additional information
- The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
- With experience, motor vehicle body repair and automotive painter tradespersons may progress to supervisory positions.
- Metal repairers employed in motor vehicle manufacturing may progress to motor vehicle repairer positions through an apprenticeship program, or, with experience, they may progress to supervisory positions in motor vehicle manufacturing.
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