BETHESDA, Md. — The Auto Care Association (ACA) has launched Auto Care Academy, a self-paced online learning resource for auto care industry professionals.
The online academy caters to professionals at all stages of their careers, from new industry entrants to seasoned veterans, the association said.
"Our goal for Auto Care Academy is to empower professionals and to ensure their continued success in the ever-evolving automotive aftermarket," ACA President and CEO Bill Hanvey said.
"We are excited to provide a high-quality, educational resource that aims to equip industry professionals with the skills necessary to thrive in their roles."
Professionals can access the platform by visiting academy.autocare.org and logging in using their autocare.org credentials. Once logged in, learners can select and purchase their preferred courses, and gain access to the training modules and related exams.
Purchasers are granted lifetime access to course content and related documents, encouraging continuous learning and skill development.
Auto Care Academy is collaborating with Northwood University to further extend the educational opportunities available to learners by providing access the college's University of the Aftermarket online course catalog.
The first two courses released in the data standards series are: Introduction to ACES and PIES, and Intermediate ACES and PIES.
These courses are specifically designed to amplify the knowledge and expertise of industry catalog managers, content managers, category managers, and product data specialists, the ACA said, noting that the academy's development team is working on the third course, PIES for Heavy Duty, to enable the heavy duty aftermarket to increase efficiency for suppliers and distributors.
The academy will also be offering Aftermarket Essentials, a forthcoming comprehensive course developed to onboard and educate new employees about the entire auto care ecosystem, including industry workings and best practices. Successful completion of this course is a prerequisite for the University of the Aftermarket's program, Aftermarket 101.
"Northwood University is honored and privileged to collaborate with the Auto Care Association on this key education initiative," Thomas Litzinger, executive director of the University of the Aftermarket, said.
"The Auto Care Academy is an innovative platform that will provide educational experiences to industry professionals who otherwise may not have the opportunity to participate. Northwood is committed to developing the future leaders of our global aftermarket and to creating immersive learning opportunities for everyone, everywhere."
