10.10.22 – Encouraging young people to pursue and maintain collision repair careers is crucial to the future of this industry. Year after year, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) strives to recognize those aspiring technicians dedicated to the profession, and this year is no different. A highlight of AASP/NJ’s Annual Meeting – to be held Wednesday, October 19 at Gran Centurions (Clark, NJ) – will be the presentation of the 2022 Russ Robson Scholarship Award to an up-and-coming technician employed by a member shop.

This annual award does more than honor new talent; it also pays tribute to late former president, Russ Robson, who is remembered for the significant role he played during the association’s formative years when the Garden State Automotive Federation transitioned to AASP/NJ.

His advocacy for training young people influenced this annual scholarship award. According to longtime friend and colleague Tom Elder (Compact Kars; Clarksburg), Robson spent time teaching at a vocational school and possessed the ability to identify talent. “He was able to talk to them at their level and encourage them to do well in this industry,” he notes. The award is intended to encourage young people to stay in the industry and recognize them for being viable candidates on their way to becoming A-technicians.å

“Russ was a smart guy, a really interesting person to hang around with,” Elder adds, recalling his old friend. “AASP/NJ strives to keep his name alive as he did a lot for the industry. His input would be 100 percent needed today as trying to get young people into the industry is so important to shop owners these days.”

The Robson family continues to be part of the AASP/NJ family; Robson’s wife, Luci, regularly attends the Annual Meeting to take part in presenting the scholarship award.

In addition to the award presentations, the Annual Meeting will also feature a “Town Hall” discussion, Board of Director elections and discussions about AASP/NJ’s health plan as well as how to navigate the rapidly evolving credit card surcharge issue.

Stay tuned for coverage in the November issue of New Jersey Automotive, which will be available at grecopublishing.com.

For more information on AASP/NJ and its upcoming events, please visit aaspnj.org.