The Northwest Auto Care Alliance is hosting its third annual Collision Training Expo (CTE) 2025, May 2-3 at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, WA.
Registration is open now at www.ctetrainingexpo.com or by calling 253-676-9222. The all-inclusive fee is $175 for NWACA members and $250 for non-members.
The two-day event will feature technical, management and estimator courses taught by leading-edge collision repair industry instructors, as well as an expo to explore and purchase the latest equipment, and a shop owner/manager roundtable.
"With all the changes in the collision industry each year, it is imperative that you keep up with the latest technology and repair procedures,” said Micah Strom, collision chair of NWACA and the owner of Modern Collision Rebuild and Service in Bainbridge Island, WA. “CTE is THE training event you can send the whole team, from the front office to the back of the shop. You can’t afford to miss this!"
Among the new classes at this year’s CTE are two EV courses taught by WTI. One is a hands-on course covering EV safety, tools and procedures. The other will cover all aspects of working with EVs, including navigating OEM procedures, electrical tooling and testing techniques, post-collision high-voltage procedures, and welding and structural repair considerations.
CTE will also feature five management/owner classes taught by WTI and The Institute, as well as classes teaching adhesives, plastic repair, paint prep and final finishing, and frame measuring, many of which are hands-on.
See the entire event schedule at www.ctetrainingexpo.com.
CTE was established in 2023 because NWACA had hosted a training expo for mechanical shops for 20 years, and felt it was time to offer the same to its collision shop members.
“We started the CTE for our members and for the industry in general, to get some good training out there,” Strom said. “There’s not a lot [of collision training] here in the Northwest, and that’s why we put this together.”
The event is designed for everyone in a collision repair shop, including managers, owners, estimators and technicians, to help them keep up with evolving technology, enhance their skills, improve safety in their workplaces and make sure their shops are meeting state regulations and standards.
