About Us

Transportation Technician Workforce | TechForce Foundation
Five Fixers Technicians
Our Purpose & Mission

TechForce powers technical careers so communities thrive.

TechForce™ is a community of students, working techs, educators, industry and donors committed to helping young people find a technical education and career that fits (Hence the name “Tech-Force”). Our mission is to champion all students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional technicians.

TechForce Foundation is the only nonprofit 501(c)(3) committed to the career exploration and workforce development of professional technicians across all sectors including (but not limited to) automotive, aviation, collision, diesel (trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy-duty, stationary engines, and rentals), fleets, marine, motorcycle, motorsports, restoration, welding, and emerging technologies.

TechForce inspires people to explore the technician profession; supports students obtaining the technical education needed to be workforce-ready; and connects techs to resources, mentors and employers to thrive in their careers. 

As a public charity, TechForce is funded by donations from corporations, foundations and individuals.


Our Impact

$18M

scholarships and grants awarded since 2007

200,000

students awarded and impacted since 2007

16.5%

of scholarships & grants awarded to Veterans

1K+

official school partners in TechForce

OUR FINANCIALS

Committed To Transparency

IRS Form 990

Download TechForce's IRS Form 990.

Financial Stats

TechForce's financial one sheet.

Annual Report

Download our recent annual report.

TechForce Advisory Councils

Instructors Advisory
Council

The voice of high schools and post-secondary technical school instructors across the country.

National Leadership Cabinet

Top tier strategic alliance partners have a front row seat to solving the technician shortage.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council

Leading our commitment to diversify the technician workforce, including Women Techs Rock.

TechForce Board of Directors

Angie Babin Board Chair President

Angie Babin

Chair/President

Jon Vesely | Board Member | TechForce

Jon Vesely

Vice Chair

Paul Halsch | Board Member | TechForce

Paul Halsch

Treasurer

David Ellis | Board Member | TechForce

David Ellis

Secretary

Jennifer Maher

Ex-Officio Member /Executive Director

chris Blanchette Board

CHris Blanchette

Director

Dave Smith

DIRECTOR

MARK FERNER

DIRECTOR

Matt Hartford

DIRECTOR

michelle Johnson

DIRECTOR

Denise Kingstrom

Director

BILL WILLETTS

DIRECTOR

TechForce Team

jennifer Maher

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Jennifer Bergeron

CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER

Carter Dowdy

Director of Finance

Dana Rapoport | TechForce Foundation | CHIEF OF DIVERSITY & INCLUSION EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT

DANA RAPOPORT

Director of School Partnerships & Volunteers

Reagan Bender

Director of Marketing & IT

JeanMarie Deluca Director of Corporate Relations

JeanMarie DeLuca

Director of Corporate Relations

Ivy Pressendo

MANAGER, SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Ben Peoples | Marketing Coordinator | TechForce Foundation

Ben Peoples

MARKETING MANAGER

Spencer Gordon | Content Manager | TechForce Foundation

Spencer Gordon

MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION & VISUAL CONTENT MANAGER

Hannah Mueller

Executive Administrator & Project Coordinator

Maggie O’Heran

Scholarships Coordinator

Donor Spotlight: Ford Motor Company

New Ford Tech and TechForce

Ford Motor Company selected TechForce to administer all its technician Ford FACT and Ford ASSET scholarships across the U.S. Additionally,  Ford enthusiastically activates TechForce’s promotions via its dealerships nationwide.

Strategic Alliance Partners

$1,000,000+ annually

$250,000+ annually

$100,000+ annually

Ford Dealers – Desert

Ford Dealers – Illinois

Ford Dealers – North Texas 

Ford Dealers – Cincinnati North
Ford Dealers – Kansas City
Ford Dealers – South Florida
Ford Dealers – Mid-South
Ford Dealers – North Texas
Ford Dealers – Seattle
Ford Dealers – Southeast

$50,000+ annually

$20,000+ annually

John & Bernadette Heenan

Vesely Family Foundation

David W. Ellis 

Margaret Dunning Foundation

Media Partners

as of 9/2/2024

Annual TechForce Donors

TechForce Providers $10,000+ annually

 

  • Steve DeMarzio
  • Dorman Products
  • Empire Auto Parts
  • Rebellious Wine
  • Marshall Payne
  • Penske Foundation Inc.
  • Dave & Julia Smith Charitable Fund
  • Total Seal
  • University of the Aftermarket

  • OEM Roundtable

TechForce Educators $5,000+ annually

  • Auto Care Association / AAPEX Show

  • Cardinals Charities

  • Reg Cooper

  • Electude

  • Evans Family Giving Fund
  • Mecum Auctions
  • Mary Mahoney
  • MOTOR Information Systems

TechForce Champions $1,000+
annually

  • Donald Ableson
  • ANSED Diagnostic
  • Austin Healey Club of Southern California
  • Angie Babin
  • James Bartholomew
  • Barrett-Jackson
  • Bill Barke
  • Jennifer Bergeron
  • Chris Blanchette
  • Mark Bruno
  • Car ADAS Solutions
  • CYTK LLC
  • Executive Car Events
  • Mark Ferner
  • Gustafson Brothers
  • Paul Halsch
  • Harbor Freight
  • Matt Hartford
  • Michelle Johnson 
  • Denise Kingstrom
  • Greg Maher
  • Jennifer Maher
  • Kim McWaters
  • Ed and Jean Moffett
  • Jeri Nowakowski
  • Bryce Peterson
  • Reid Family
  • Greg Rintala
  • Schneider Foundation
  • Gregory Settle
  • Randall & Cathy Smith
  • Robert Torcolini
  • Jill Trotta
  • Donna Turner
  • White’s Family Queen City Motors
  • White’s Canyon Motors
  • William Willetts

In Memorium Funds

  • Andrew Carl Sliwinski
  • William “Willy” Bertoti
  • Terry Emig
  • John F. Weinberger
  • Andrew VanGorder
  • Justin E. Beutel
  • John E. Leao II
  • Admiral Thomas Hayward
  • Bobby Bove
  • Daniel W. Gruber
  • John & Helga Garofalo
  • Jerry W. Reynolds Sr.
  • Matthew W. Madole
  • Brienne Davis
  • Richard “Pup” Conklin
  • Douglas Wendell Duszynski

Media Collaborators

Association & Nonprofit Partners

Celebrity Ambassadors

Special Collaborators

Collaborators

  • Advance Auto Parts
  • Cythero VR
  • Hunter Engineering Company
  • Schwartz Advisors
  • Laura Goodman
  • David Morton
  • Gregory Settle
  • Quorum I.T., LLC

Stay up to date with the TechForce Event Calendar

From School Visits to Student Experiences, Speaking engagements to Exhibitions, and more.

FAQs -
ABOUT US​​

Our mission is to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians.

We power technical careers so communities thrive.

TechForce is an Arizona nonprofit corporation designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions are tax deductible. TechForce staff, consultants and volunteers work remote, nationwide to power the technician workforce. We are directed by a 15-member, volunteer board of directors comprised of industry professionals, working and retired techs, technical educators, and philanthropists. 

TechForce was founded in 2005 and began operations in 2007 as the Universal Technical Institute Foundation. For the first eight years, it existed as a scholarship and grant organization, supporting financially-disadvantaged students who chose to attend a UTI campus. In 2014, the charity’s board of directors elected to expand its mission to do more to solve the technician shortage and support students everywhere. In 2016, the organization changed its name to TechForce Foundation, expanded its scholarships to support students attending any post-secondary technical program, and entered into strategic alliances to fuel career exploration and workforce development for students starting in middle- and high-school. Today, TechForce is a fully independent, autonomous not-for-profit, helping tens of thousands of  students from more than 1,000 schools nationwide find a technical education and career that fits.

TechForce helps students who love working with their hands and are interested in exploring the technician career to learn more about the profession, find technical schools, scholarships and grants, mentors, apprenticeships, jobs and successful careers.

TechForce 1) promotes the professional by sharing information, resources and marketing that reframes the technician profession and dispels myths and stigmas; 2) provides hands-on experiences to engage students with auto/diesel technology, explore the career and get workforce ready; and 3) awards more than $4.0 million annually in scholarships and grants to support technical education (students, schools and fellow nonprofits). Additionally, TechForce collaborates with businesses, schools, associations and nonprofits offering additional workforce development solutions and connects students to all these valuable resources through TechForce’s online career hub.

If you need help logging in or with TechForce™, simply click on the green HOW CAN WE HELP button in the lower right part of your screen. Our technical team will get back to you more quickly than contacting us by phone or email.

"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

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