New agreement - National Training Program on Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Maintenance and Repair

Montreal, October 19, 2023 – Bumper to Bumper and the Conseil provincial des comités paritaires de l’industrie des services automobiles (CPCPA) are proud to announce a new agreement designed to offer a national training program on the maintenance and repair of electric and hybrid vehicles.

The “Skills EV” program will now be available outside the province of Quebec, reaching all the automotive technicians of the Bumper to Bumper network.

This program, which aims to provide a structured training path, is already recognized as a benchmark in the industry. Introduced in Quebec in 2020, and offered in particular through the province's Bumper to Bumper network, the program has trained nearly 600 mechanics in Quebec.

“Electric vehicles (EVs) are very different from traditional gasolinepowered vehicles. They have unique components and systems, so technicians who aren’t trained in EVs may not be able to diagnose and repair them properly. That’s why we’re so pleased about this agreement with the Conseil provincial des comités paritaires (CPCPA). It will enable us to offer one of the best training programs to our network of repair shops across the country, ensuring a high level of knowledge and repair quality.”

Billy Thomas, Training Specialist, Bumper to Bumper Academy

“The CPCPA is very proud of this mutually beneficial agreement, because as representative of the automotive service industry in Quebec and the driving force behind the PCVÉ, the CPCPA is delighted that a provincial program is once again being requested on a national scale. The PCVÉ was built to very high-quality standards and is regularly updated to meet the needs of next-generation vehicles. With a total of 161 hours of training, it's also the only program designed exclusively by master trainers which offers provincially recognized certification at the end of the curriculum following an examination.”

Charles Gagnon, Eng, General Manager of the Conseil provincial des comités paritaires de l'industrie des services automobiles

ABOUT UNI-SELECT

With over 1,600 employees across Canada, Uni-Select is a leader in the automotive aftermarket, supporting more than 16,000 automotive repair and body shops and nearly 4,000 repair facilities through its automotive repair and refinishing banners. Its national network includes more than 1,000 independent outlets and over 110 company-operated stores, many of which operate under the Uni-Select BUMPER TO BUMPER®, AUTO PARTS PLUS® and FINISHMASTER® banners.

Uni-Select was recently acquired by LKQ Corporation, the leading supplier of alternative replacement parts, specialized salvage parts and recycled auto parts for repairing and accessorizing vehicles, with operations in North America, Europe and Taiwan.

ABOUT CPCPA

The Conseil provincial des Comités paritaires de l'industrie des services automobiles (CPCPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing excellence and recognition of the workforce in Quebec's automotive services industry. Its main mandate is to develop and ensure the standardization of qualification and training tools offered across the territories of the six Joint Committees of the automotive services industry (CPA).