Launch your career in auto body repair with a certificate from Centennial College. Hands-on training & industry-recognized skills. Apply now!
The Auto Body Repair Techniques program is a one-year course designed to prepare students for entry-level roles in the auto body industry, even without prior experience. Based on the Level 1 apprenticeship curriculum and enhanced with additional content, the program combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on training to give students a competitive advantage in the field. Graduates earn an Auto Body Repair Certificate and receive credit for Level 1 of the Ontario Auto Body and Collision Damage Repairer (310B) in-school apprenticeship training. This credit can be applied through a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process once the graduate becomes a registered apprentice. The curriculum covers a range of essential topics, including personal and shop safety, vehicle and body construction, detailing and refinishing equipment maintenance, applied mechanical systems, mathematics, communication, trade tools and shop equipment, non-structural repair fundamentals, refinishing surface preparation, and welding techniques such as oxyacetylene and gas metal arc welding. Approximately 40 percent of the program is dedicated to hands-on training in a modern, fully equipped auto body lab. Students learn under experienced instructors who focus on developing practical skills and building confidence in a real-world environment. Upon completion, graduates are positioned to begin their apprenticeship pathway. Within one year, they will have earned an Ontario College Certificate and completed Level 1 of the apprenticeship program, allowing them to register as apprentices and eventually return for Level 2 training as part of the standard apprenticeship progression.
