Lunch & Learn - NAPA Xcellerator program,Technology Is Changing!

Title:
Technology Is Changing How We Access Information and How Technicians Are Trained—See It for Yourself

Description:
In this upcoming session, we’re diving into a different approach—one that’s changing how shops support their lead technicians, while at the same time training and developing the next generation of technicians.

We’ll be taking a look at the NAPA Xccelerator program, a new platform designed to streamline the repair process by giving technicians the repair information they need without leaving the vehicle. It also takes what traditionally requires years of apprenticeship and compresses it into weeks using immersive training and real-time support.

Sneak Preview – Watch Before You Attend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4reSwYbFwBo

You’ll see how tools like AI-assisted smart glasses and XR (extended reality) training allow technicians to get step-by-step guidance during repairs, access torque specs and procedures instantly, and continue working without leaving the vehicle or breaking their flow.

You already know the technician shortage is real—and what you may not realize is how much it’s costing your shop every single day: lost production, delayed repairs, and missed opportunities.

Are you thinking:

• I don’t have time to train someone—I need a qualified technician now
• How do you bring in new talent without slowing production?
• How do I prepare for the next generation of technicians and vehicles?
• How often do technicians stop work to look up information, procedures, or specs?
• How much time is lost training a green technician?

This isn’t just training—it’s a system built to:

• Get green techs productive faster
• Reduce the need to pull your top tech off the floor to train
• Improve accuracy and reduce mistakes in real time
• Increase throughput and overall shop efficiency—even with experienced techs

We’ll walk through real examples of how this works in a shop environment, how it supports both new and experienced technicians, and what this actually looks like in your shop.

Most importantly, we’ll break down what this means for your business—faster onboarding, more consistent repairs, and a way to build your own technicians instead of waiting to hire them.

If you’re struggling to hire, tired of production bottlenecks, or wondering what your shop looks like in 2–3 years if nothing changes—this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Presenter Bio:
Robin Cowie is the Founder and CEO of Skillmaker.ai and the creator of the NAPA Autotech XcceleratoR—an AI-powered training platform built in partnership with NAPA Auto Parts to help solve the automotive industry’s 642,000-technician shortage.

The XcceleratoR combines immersive XR instruction, job assessment, and AI-driven smart glasses that give technicians hands-free, real-time repair guidance in the bay. This compresses what traditionally takes years of training into an accelerated program that quickly makes techs productive while helping experienced techs increase throughput.

Before founding Skillmaker, Robin pioneered VR-based electrician training, reducing an eight-month certification timeline to just 15 days. He also spent five years at Electronic Arts as a Senior Narrative Producer, contributing to six AAA games including the award-winning Madden NFL: Longshot.

Earlier, he co-founded Haxan Films and produced The Blair Witch Project, the highest-grossing independent film of its era, along with eight additional internationally distributed films.

Robin currently leads a team of XR engineers, AI developers, and learning scientists. The NAPA XcceleratoR is the first XR training solution officially recognized by ASE as a pathway toward accelerated certification—a major milestone for the industry.

Skillmaker’s mission is to make every shop’s next great technician possible—faster.

Meeting Details:
Lunch & Learn / NAPA Xccelerator Program
Time: May 13, 2026 12:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting: Lunch & Learn
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82449865852

Meeting ID: 824 4986 5852

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