Seeing as many of our shops are family businesses, I wanted to flag this opportunity for those of us with teens who might someday take over...
Penn College of Technology is offering a summer camp for high school students interested in classic car restoration. Auto upholstery is a major part of the program. But teens will also learn about metal forming, pin striping and paint simulation.
The camp is from June 16 – 19. It’s open to anyone entering grades 10 – 12.
The cost is only $375, which includes all activities, supplies, meals, and on-campus housing.
I can't stress enough that education is the key to success. This trade needs more positive and pro-active people that can help the younger generation. There is entirely too much bad information out there that stunts the growth of our trade. I am all-in when it comes to helping train and educate anyone serious about learning this trade.
For what it's worth: A number of years ago I attended a week-long summer class at McPherson College in Kansas. If you all aren't familiar with the school, they are the only (or perhaps very few) schools in the country which offer a 4 -year degreed auto restoration course. One of the blocks in the course is focused on trimming.
In addition to the 4-year program they also do summer classes in a variety of subjects from upholstery, to metal work, to body and paint, engine building, etc... I had a really positive experience there and would certainly recommend it for others interested in these types of learning opportunities. These classes are suitable for teens, adults, you name it.
Anyone interested in learning about McPherson College, check out this interview we did with Michael Dudley, a former shop owner-turned-assistant professor of automotive restoration, who told us all about the upholstery courses he teaches there: Learning Upholstery at McPherson College