The Automotive Business School of Canada (ABSC) witnessed its first graduating class of the Canadian Dealer Academy in French.
The school’s first French cohort of the program graduated in 2021 after taking part in a one-semester Automotive Dealership Management Ontario College Graduate Certificate program offering over 252 hours on a part-time basis. The program includes seven courses and is spread out over seven weeks, 36-hours per course, and provides the flexibility of an in-class and online delivery.
“We want to congratulate each graduate on this accomplishment,” said Jason Dale, Executive Director of the Automotive Business School of Canada. “It is an intense workload and a lot to balance while managing a dealership. We are proud and honoured to be able to call them alumni of the Canadian Dealer Academy.”
The five graduates are Simon Martin (employed by Honda Canada), Steffy Theetge (employed by Groupe Theetge), Bruno Marsolais (employed by Joliette Ford Lincoln), Vincent Morin (employed by Chambly Mazda), and Jody Lachapelle (employed by Pier Lachapelle). Some of the students have been working in the automotive industry for more than 20 years.
Asked about the experience, Martin, who is a customer service performance consultant at Honda Canada, said the program provided good insight on how to efficiently manage all departments within a dealership.
“The course content was delivered by professionals from the industry, and it was also a good opportunity to make contacts in the automotive business,” said Martin. “I definitely recommend this program to those who want to deepen their knowledge of dealership operations.”
Theetge, who is the director of marketing communications and internet sales for the Theetge Group, said immersion in each of the departments allowed her to better understand the workings of the dealership, independently and as a whole. “I absolutely recommend this program to the next generation of each dealership,” said Theetge.
The program focuses on the current issues, trends and technologies in automotive dealership management, enabling students to synthesize management theory with practical, hands-on learning.
“This group of automotive professionals has been a joy to work with. I found that every student was dedicated and enthusiastic throughout the course,” said John White, Georgian College Capstone Course Instructor. “This is a demanding session which requires hard work and thought—(and) every student was up to the task. I am very confident that they will turn what they have learned into concrete and practical use.”
Tim Reuss, President and CEO of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), also offered his congratulations to all the students.
“The Canadian Dealer Academy has always been the preeminent education institution for automotive dealership’s leaders in Canada, and we are very excited that it has successfully expanded its reach by offering its courses in French,” said Reuss. “In doing so, our French-speaking members are now also benefiting from the 100 per cent Canadian curriculum and content being offered by the Dealer Academy.”
The course is currently being offered in Barrie, Ont., for January, but 2022 dates for Vancouver, B.C., Edmonton, Alta., and Halifax, NS are to be determined. The start date of a French option is also to be determined for Montreal, Que.
