A brand new classroom has officially opened called PBS Innovation Lab at Georgian College, that will fast track automotive education and bring digital tools to students in the classroom. Students who are enrolled in the Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC) at Georgian College will now have the ability to get hands on learning from systems used in the workforce thanks to a unique partnership with PBS Systems and the college. Jonathan Trepanier, who is enrolled in the program said the new tools equip students with experience not seen at any other learning institutions. “Usually, people get into the job market, and they discover what they are going to actually do with the job,” said Trepanier. “For us, we already know what we are going to do, and we already have that step so there are a few years we can skip.” The space opened on May 22, and school officials say the partnership allows students and staff to stay ahead of the challenging work force. “We really want to always teach ahead of the curve as the industry changes so rapidly,” said Jason Dale, executive director of the ABSC “So this space is larger, more innovative, and ready for our students.” A five-year agreement signed by PBS and the college last year gives students access to systems currently being used in the workforce and car dealerships by PBS Systems, a trusted Canadian dealer management software provider. “Students will have access to a fully functional version of the system with data so that they can learn how to create those repair orders, create those parts invoices, manage inventory, learn how financial statements are generated and, and things like that,” said Shelly Scott, vice president of business communications with PBS Systems. Additionally, students also have access to dealer academy, another online tool to further elevate their learning experience in the automotive field. “It’s just like they’re working in a store and those tools, the technology, the software, the training materials, they’re all updated every single day, every single week, every single month,” said Scott. “As the software, as the industry, as technology evolves.” Thanks to the partnership, students like Trepanier can gain valuable experience right at the college. “Just with what we learned, the teachers we have, even with the co-op’s that we have, it’s just you get so much experience out of the program,” said Trepanier.
