Local dealerships are dedicated to keeping the auto retail industry staffed with passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds. They invest in the automotive programs of community colleges, technical schools and educational programs across the country, giving the future generation more opportunities, tools, and skills. Below are eight recent ways dealerships are helping the youngest generations:
- Balise Toyota and Balise Lexus in West Springfield, Mass. donated $20,000 to Springfield’s Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts to help build a career leadership and innovation center, which will feature a virtual reality and maker’s space for students to gain hands-on experience in their chosen field.
- Beck Automotive Group in Palatka, Fla. sponsored a career program at Palatka Junior-Senior High School to train and recruit automotive technicians.
- Carson City Toyota and Campagni Auto Group in Carson City, N.V. funded seven students' attendance to Western Nevada College to pursue their associate degree of choice.
- Greater Chicago Ford dealers donated a million dollars in scholarship funding to support students pursuing careers as automotive technicians. The funding is facilitated by TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit supporting students through their education and into careers as professional technicians.
- The Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association donated $10,000 to the Citrus College Automotive Technology program to fund hand tools and tool boxes for graduates.
- Loyalty Toyota in Chester, Va. donated a Toyota Prius Hybrid to the Reynolds Community College Automotive Technology Program as a teaching tool.
- Preston Automotive Group in Ridgely, Pa. donated more than $4,000 to the Caroline Career and Technology Center’s Automotive Program.
- Walser Automotive Group in Minneapolis, Minn. established a partnership with the Urban League Twin Cities Black Gems program, a college and career readiness program that helps high school students navigate the transition from teen life to adulthood with a focus on post-secondary training.
To further the same mission as the many local dealerships supporting community college programs, the NADA Foundation launched a pilot program this year in partnership with Urban League of Louisiana (ULLA), the National Urban League (NUL), and Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association (LADA) to develop local automotive technician apprentices. The apprentices are taught and trained at two Louisiana community colleges, Baton Rouge Community College and Delgado Community College. The partnership leaders are optimistic this pilot will become a model for similar programs across the country.
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