Frequently asked Questions
For further information on joining the Road To Gold program, please contact us at goldclass@i-car.com.au Once we have received your email we will contact you to explain the training options available to you.
Timeframes vary to achieve Gold Class status which can depend upon the number of staff involved in the training schedule to the requirements from an Insurer/ OEM. Holden, for example, require any business entering the Road To Gold program to complete the training and achieve Gold Class status within 12 months.
All staff members directly involved in the repair process (Estimators, Structural Technicians, Non-Structural Technicians and Refinish Technicians), have to complete training to the value of FOUR points each. Then four members of staff need to be identified as Lead Technicians, who are then required to achieve I-CAR Platinum Individual status by achieving TEN training points in the following rolls:
- Estimator
- Structural Technician
- Non-Structural Technician
- Refinish Technician
Staff members who are exempt from the point accreditation rule include:
- Administration staff
- Mechanics
- Detailers
- Parts Controllers
- Apprentices
As with the Platinum accreditation, Gold Class is an annual certification and is maintained by all eligible staff members achieving 2 further training points each year.
I-CAR training is offered in a variety of delivery formats. These formats include:
- Live Classroom Training
- Instructor-Led Virtual Classroom Training
- Online Training
- Hands-On Welding Training & Certification
I-CAR will inform you of any ‘Live’ training that is available in your area along with all ‘Virtual’ training dates in the training plan and through the membership communication.
Our ITA partners provide product-specific training, and we award points accordingly, which are recognised as part of our Platinum Individual accreditation and the Road To Gold program. Our ITA partners are:
- 3M
- Akzo Nobel
- BMW
- Concept Paints
- Car-O-Liner
- Cromax
- Glasurit
- PPG
- Spies Hecker
- Standox
- Tesla
- Valspar
The majority of I-CAR training courses offer a single point upon the successful completion of the course. There are exceptions to this which include our online training which offers between 0.25 – 1 point on successful completion depending on the duration of the course attended and the welding certification which allocates five points when successfully completed. The welding certification is valid for three years and requires a recertification to maintain the accreditation. ITA training can also offer multiple training points depending on the training provided.
If a technician leaves, a business can still maintain the Gold Class status if a new Lead Technician is appointed and is committed to achieving Platinum status in the designated timeframe. The timeframe the new Lead Technicians have will depend upon the shop’s Gold Class expiration date. Businesses that are either on the Road To Gold or have achieved the Gold Class accreditation are required to report all personnel changes to I-CAR. This will ensue that Gold Class requirements are met once Road To Gold training has been completed and that all training information supplied to the business is relevant and accurate for Gold Class renewal requirements.