AUTOBODY ASSOCIATION PROMOTES ITSELF

August 2000

This past May, the Saskatoon Auto Body Association (SABA) participated in a tri-province career fair hosting over 3000 First Nations student from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The career fair was held at the local Saskatoon Exhibition Trade and Conference Center. Over 100 trades and professions had show booths to promote their particular occupation ranging from hair styling to the police service.

Howard Crittenden, president of SABA, organized a number of shops from the city to provide volunteers to man the auto body booth each day. The local Saskatchewan Government Insurance salvage division donated a wrecked 1990 Ford Tempo to be used in the display. The car was set up as if on a frame machine, all gauged and measured. Several of the panels were removed so the students could see the inner workings of the car.

This action is directly in response to concerns that the industry is not doing enough to promote itself. Crittenden stated that "the industry has so much to offer young people, they can actually earn while they learn." SABA plans to make the car display available to the provincial autobody association (SAAR) to be used in other cities throughout Saskatchewan.