December

Month: December 2020

Announcing Fall 2020 Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award winner

 

Congratulations to Elizabeth Reece (representing MMI-Phoenix) –  winner of the Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award!

 

Image of Fall 2020 Emig Hero Spirit winner Elizabeth

“My passion [is] to use these skills [I am learning] as a means to impact others, to encourage others, and to provide ways for others to gain fresh perspective and opportunity with their lives,” says Elizabeth, a student at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute.

 

A single mom and small business owner, Elizabeth reflected on the challenges she faced to get to where she is today, “I am not ashamed that I must work so hard in school, or that, at age fifty, I have begun a whole new career direction. I am driven to show my three daughters that in living this life each day with integrity, focus, faith, generosity and persistence, others will be motivated to live the same way.”

 

Elizabeth’s instructors credit her for her compassionate outlook on life, with one commenting, “[Elizabeth] is a gifted leader, outgoing, and has a great sense of humor which makes people of all walks of life feel appreciated and special. She has an especially big heart for the people in society who have been forgotten or pushed to the side. It is not easy being a single mother and a business owner! It takes a lot of strength and determination—two things [Elizabeth] certainly has!”

 

Elizabeth’s strength and compassion are also evident in her future career goals. When asked how she plans to use her technician education Elizabeth replied, “My plan is to be able to have a garage where I can teach and employ people coming out of broken life experiences. I thrive when I am able to encourage. I dream of the day I get to say ‘YES, I am a motorcycle mechanic but more importantly I am a person who knows success beyond difficulty and hardship.’ THIS is the message I will convey. I am PASSIONATE about helping the next struggling person along, about saying I DID IT AND I WILL HELP YOU DO IT, TOO.”

 

The Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award is awarded to a student who shares its namesake’s grace, integrity, kindness, generosity and service to others. In a group of highly worthy candidates, Elizabeth stood out as the candidate who truly honors Terry Emig’s Hero Spirit. Elizabeth will receive $8,500 tuition scholarship and $1,500 cash award. Two finalists were also selected to each receive a cash grant.

 

Congratulations, Elizabeth!

 

Learn more about TechForce Foundation scholarships & apply here>>

 

 

 

Spark News | December 2020
 

Topics in Spark News for December 2020:

Ford ASSET program, CarQuest WorldPAC virtual training, Penske Outstanding Student Award, Skills USA Virtual Conference, Gen Zers Like Classic Cars, Transitioning Veterans Into Technicians
 

Ford ASSET scholarships now available through TechForce

2020-11_01_Ford scholarship_Asset logo_201130We teamed up with our partner Ford Motor Company to make it easier for you to find the funding you need for your technical education! Students in Ford ASSET programs around the country can now access scholarships through TechForce Foundation’s “Accelerate Tuition” opportunity. Start your scholarship application today at TechForce.org/Scholarships>>
 

TechForce Awards Penske Outstanding Student Award

2020-11_01_Penske Scholarship_Joel McCallister HeadshotCongratulations to Joel McCallister, winner of the Roger Penske Outstanding Student Award! A recent graduate of Universal Technical Institute, Joel earned 19 Student of the Course awards throughout his education and has been described by his instructors as demonstrating “a true passion and commitment to advancing his career.” Learn more about Joel and apply for TechForce scholarships here>>

 

 

SkillsUSA announces virtual conference & competition

2020-11_01_SkillsUSA National Competition_SkillsUSA logo_201119TechForce association partner SkillsUSA will be holding its National Leadership and Skills Conference and SkillsUSA Championships virtually in 2021, with localized hands-on elements for select competitions. For more information check out the official announcement here>>
Resource Spotlight

2020-11_01_Resource Spotlight_Virtual Classroom2020-11_01_Resource Spotlight_World Community

CarQuest Technical Institute (CTI) and WorldPAC Training Institute (WTI) have opened their virtual training libraries to technician students!

Virtual Classroom provides training for all skill levels, while World Professional Automotive Community offers management and technical content for more experienced or specialized techs.

Simply click the logos above to begin!

2020-11_01_Research shows interest in classic cars_Woman sitting on car
 
 

New research: Majority of Gen Z interested in classic cars

Did you hear? According to a recent study Millennials and GenZers are more — not less — interested in owning classic or collector cars than their parents and grandparents. In fact, of the five generations polled, Gen Z and Millenials were the only generations with a majority of drivers interested in owning a classic car. Learn more with ClassicCars.com’s coverage of Hagerty’s report here>>
 

Department of Labor pilots apprenticeships for transitioning service members

2020-11_01_DOL Apprenticeship pilot_Photo from blog-1The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) has launched a new Apprenticeship Pilot to prepare transitioning service members for civilian careers in the skilled trades. Apprenticeship Placement Counselors are assisting service members at eight military installations as they select, locate and apply for apprenticeships. Learn more about the pilot program here>>

Thank you to all TechForce Foundation partners!

2020-11_01_Thank you TechForce partners_Logo Lockup_201130Associations: Automotive Communications Council, Automotive Maintenance & Repair Association (AMRA), American Rental Association (ARA), Automotive Service Association (ASA), Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), ASE Education Foundation, ASE Training Managers Council (ATMC), Auto Care Association/Women in Auto Care, Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR), Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence, National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada (NAACC), National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF), National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3), National Center for Autonomous Technology (NCAT), SkillsUSA, and American Trucking Association’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC)

Celebrities: Lyn St. James (IndyCar), Bogi Lateiner (Girl Gang Garage), Steve Johnson (Steve Johnson Racing – NHRA), and Julia Landauer (Julia Landauer
Racing – NASCAR)

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"By connecting students, instructors, industry pros and working techs, the TechForce Foundation provides unilateral support to the transportation industry’s technician recruiting needs… The administration of our Scholarships by the TechForce team has been instrumental in delivering us with a successful method to gain interest from qualified candidates as well as provide our students with additional assistance to complete their education."
Tony Farr
Ford Technical Programs Manager