CALGARY — Passing along skills and knowledge is important. That’s why Jason Budd became a teacher.
He’s not in a traditional classroom, however. He shares a large three-bay shop with three other instructors at the Calgary Board of Education’s Career and Technology Centre (CTC) at Lord Shaughnessy High School in southwest Calgary.
The school is a state of the art centre for career and technology studies, offering programs such as auto body, welding, pre-engineering, cosmetology, natural resources, photography and culinary arts, both high school and pre-apprentice levels.
Budd is an auto body teacher, and it’s his job to show students how to take a twisted and bent piece of metal – and turn it back into a car. He’s what the school calls an industry expert.
Budd’s grandfather restored old Massey-Harris tractors, and he had a shop full of tools.
From left to right are teachers Dave Watson, Matt Dorozio, Francesco Fulginiti and Jason Budd. Between the four of them, they have 125 years of auto body experience to pass on to students at the Calgary Board of Education’s Career and Technology Centre (CTC) at Lord Shaughnessy High School in southwest Calgary.
Greg Williams, Driving
“He’d let me play with everything, and I rebuilt my first motor when I was 12,” Budd says. “That really started something for me.”
As a student at William Aberhart High School in the late 1990s, Budd was enrolled in the Registered Apprenticeship Program, and he worked at ATCO Gas servicing their fleet of vehicles.
“But I didn’t like getting my hands so greasy,” Budd laughs. “I love it now, but back then, it wasn’t good for me.”
So in the early 2000s he got a job at an auto body shop. He started washing and detailing cars, applying pinstriping, and watching what the auto body technicians were doing. He eventually became an apprentice, and moved over to Maaco Auto Body.
“Here, I learned to truly fix things, and it was a great education,” Budd says. “I expanded my auto body skills and painting experience at Maaco, it was a lot of fun.”
But Budd was considering moving on to another trade or becoming an insurance adjuster when his wife suggested applying with the school board.
“It’s called the bridging program, where Red Seal trades people are put through university to get an education degree – and then teach their craft to high school students.
“I thought it would be great, because there was a huge age gap between myself and the auto body technicians I had been working with – I was worried that they would all retire and we were going to lose all of this experience.”
Instructor Jason Budd works on a late model BMW front fender.
Greg Williams, Driving
He continues: “Kids love cars – and if I could get them interested in my industry – even if they end up just working on them as a hobby – then I’ve done my job.”
The auto body class is offered to a wide spectrum of learners. Some are there to learn the trade, while others, Budd says, are there to fulfill the requirements for a high school diploma.
There are four levels of training. The Explore program offers the basics; introducing students to hand tools and auto body panels. If they enjoy exploring, they can move on to the Specialized program, and then the Credentialed program. Finally, there’s the pre-apprentice program, where students are encouraged to repair complete vehicles and gain hours and experience.
“When they’re done, they should have the knowledge to write the first year auto body apprenticeship exam and walk out of the school a second period auto body technician,” Budd says.
The auto body shop at the school includes a classroom, a welding area, a detail area, two paint booths and two hoists. There is also a working floor for the intermediate, senior and pre-apprentice students to repair customer vehicles.
Budd teaches alongside Matt Dorozio, Dave Watson and Francesco Fulginiti. Between the four of them, they have 125 years of auto body experience.
“Some of these students come here with nothing,” Budd says of his pupils. “If I can ignite a spark in them by educating them with a bit of my knowledge and a lot of my passion then I’ve done what I’m here to do.”
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have an auto related item to share for the column or What’s Next? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca. Visit his website at gregwilliams.ca
