May 11, 2021December 8, 2022

Under The Hood | May 2021

TOPICS IN UNDER THE HOOD FOR MAY 2021:

2021 FutureTechs Rock Awards Grand Prize Winner

Congratulations to 2021 FutureTechs Rock Awards Grand Prize Winner Zander Worm, representing the Motorsports category of the Awards. Zander is a high-school student from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, who is determined to one day lead Chevrolet’s Corvette team.

2021 was the biggest FutureTechs Rock Awards yet, and we thank everyone who made this year’s Awards possible. Students were nominated from 39 states, 40% of this year’s finalists and runners up were women and more than $14,500 in prizes are being distributed. Learn more about the Awards and this year’s winners here>>

Scholarship Highlight: Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award Winner

Congratulations to Hunter Nelson, the most recent recipient of the Terry Emig Hero Spirit Award! An Eagle Scout and UTI student, Hunter plans to use his automotive technology education to become a Porsche technician.

Learn more about TechForce Foundation scholarships and start your application in our peer network today at JoinTechForce.org>>

Virtual Event: WD-40 CEO to discuss impact of learning organizations on 5/26

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from CEO and Chairman of the WD-40 Company Garry Ridge and world renowned executive coach Dr. Marshall Goldsmith on May 26 at 1:30 PM EDT/ 10:30 AM PDT!

These industry leaders will host a webinar explaining how WD-40 Company evolved into a learning organization, and how learning moments can drive positive changes in your organization. The event is hosted by TechForce partners WD-40 Company and S/P2 Training, as well as the American Safety Council. Learn more and register here>>

Longtime TechForce partner Sunstate Equipment renews commitment

TechForce Foundation thanks Sunstate Equipment, a long-time partner in our workforce development campaign, for their recent donation. Sunstate’s contribution includes $25,000 in support of TechForce’s general mission, and an additional $10,000 to fund our veteran-specific programs. Learn more about Sunstate Equipment here>>

Support technician students: Donate your vehicle to TechForce

Donate your car, RV or boat to TechForce Foundation to support students in their education and careers as professional auto, diesel, collision, aviation, and other transportation technicians. Your car donation will fund the technical education and careers of future technicians. Donate a car, RV, boat or other vehicle today by calling 1-877-957-2277 or clicking here>>

Join the world’s only peer network dedicated to future and working technicians

Are you on TechForce yet? Experience the world’s first and only peer network 100% dedicated to future and working technicians! Connect with other students, educators and working techs, compete in daily trivia and other fun challenges, and find events, trainings, scholarships and more. Join TechForce today>>

TMC releases augmented reality game to attract new technicians

TMCSuperTech is an augmented reality game that lets you progress through a career as a technician in the trucking industry. Start as a trainee and level up to full-time tech to customize the trucks in your garage. Do your job and do it well, and you will graduate from Full-Time Technician to the Owner of the shop itself! Learn about the app>>

Catch up with TechForce Foundation on the CarsYeah! Podcast

Have you heard TechForce Foundation CEO Jennifer Maher’s interview on the Cars Yeah! Podcast? Listen to catch up on some exciting updates from TechForce Foundation, including how you can join the world’s first peer network for future and working technicians. Listen here>>

Thank you to WrenchNation’s Frank Leutz and Desert Car Care

TechForce Foundation staff recently dropped by to say thank you to WrenchNation host Frank Leutz and the entire Desert Car Care of Chandler team for their outstanding support. TechForce joined Desert Car Care for lunch, a tour of the shop and to brainstorm ways to further serve student technicians. Learn more about Wrench Nation here>>

Reminder: Garage Guru Scholarships closing 5/31

Garage Gurus’ has extended the deadline for their annual scholarship through May 31, 2021. The scholarship is open to high school and post-secondary students pursuing an automotive technician education. Twelve students will be awarded up to $2,500 each to help support their educational expenses! Learn more and apply here>>

Thank you to all TechForce Foundation partners!

Associations: Automotive Communications Council, Automotive Maintenance & Repair Association (AMRA), American Rental Association (ARA), Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Automotive Service Association (ASA), Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), ASE Education Foundation, ASE Training Managers Council (ATMC), Auto Care Association/Women in Auto Care, Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT), Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement (CADIA), Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR), Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, 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, STEAM Sports Foundation and American Trucking Association’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC)

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

May 11, 2021December 8, 2022

RELEASE: 2021 FutureTechs Rock Grand Prize Winner

TechForce Foundation^® Announces 2021 FutureTechs Rock Awards^TMGrand Prize Winner

Ten transportation technician students recognized for outstanding
contributions as role models at school and in their communities

May 11, 2021 – SCOTTSDALE, AZ — TechForce Foundation announces the 2021 FutureTechs Rock Awards Grand Prize Winner is Zander Worm, a high school senior from Copper Country Intermediate School District in Hancock, MI. As a nonprofit dedicated to helping student techs achieve their professional dreams, TechForce created this prestigious award to honor our student technician community and recognize those who have a promising future and will shape the transportation industry. To learn more about the 2021 FutureTechs Rock Awards visit TechForce.org/FutureTechsRock.

Zander was selected as the Motorsports Category Winner by a panel of industry expert judges. His instructors describe his curiosity and interest in vehicles as profound. He regularly asks more information than the course requires, and spends time helping his classmates understand the material. A two time regional SkillsUSA winner, Zander is determined to one day lead Chevrolet’s Corvette team.

“I have been committed to the automotive industry as a whole my entire life,” says Zander. “I’ve been repairing or modifying my personal [1977] Corvette for the past three years and have been able to relate everything I learn with that to autotech and vice versa. I’ve rebuilt a 4-speed transmission from a bunch of scrap parts and swapped it into my originally automatic equipped Corvette. I’ve also used my autotech experience to design a rig and test a few cylinder head designs for my senior project. I swapped the best performing heads onto my Corvette. I’ve also replaced engines on a few personal vehicles in order to make a profit on sale. I love everything automotive and I’m determined to lead our industry into the future.”

During the May 3-7, 2021 People’s Choice public voting, TechForce followers cast thousands of votes among 10 national Category Winners who were selected from more than 400 technician students by a panel of expert judges. This year’s nominees represented more than 75 unique schools in 39 states, including at least 32 high schools and 43 post-secondary schools. Over 40% of the 2021 Category Winners and runner ups were women, a significant proportion when considering only 3% of professional technicians are women.

Zander secured the largest number of votes and has been named the Grand Prize Winner, earning a $1,000 TechForce Foundation tuition scholarship and $1,500 in prizes from TechForce sponsors including training and prizes from Advance Auto Parts, a Smart Parts Washer from CRC Industries, a gift card from AutoZone and an iPad Air from Ford Motor Company.

Diesel On-Road Category Winner Brooklyn Booth received the second-largest number of votes, a significant accomplishment. All 10 Category Winners including Zander and Brooklyn will receive prizes valued over $1,200 from TechForce partners including WD-40, AutoZone, Ford Motor Company, Cengage Learning, Advance Auto Parts, FedEx Freight and CRC Industries.

The 2021 finalists each represented a distinct technical education discipline. The Category Winners include:

Automotive – Jana Warnke, Clover Park Technical College
Aviation – Alexander Fernandez, St. Lucie West Centennial High School
Collision Repair – Alfonso Porter, Universal Technical Institute Houston
Diesel Off-Road – Wyatt Brink, Meridian High School
Diesel On-Road (Grand Prize Runner Up) – Brooklyn Booth, Great Oaks High School Live Oaks Campus
Marine and Watercraft – Aaliyah Hickey, Chattanooga State Community College
Motorcycle & ATV – Frederick Wooten, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute Phoenix
Motorsports (Grand Prize Winner) – Zander Worm, Copper Country Intermediate School District
Restoration – Justin Arace, Central Carolina Community College
Welding & CNC – Martin Witt, Universal Technical Institute Long Beach

The FutureTechs Rock Awards are part of TechForce Foundation’s workforce development initiative to help inspire and support tomorrow’s workforce of technicians.

About TechForce Foundation

TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional transportation technicians. The Foundation distributes more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors, and spearheads an industry-wide workforce development initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For more information, visit www.techforce.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin.

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