Author: Dev Admin

Penske Truck Leasing Investing in Next Generation Maintenance Workforce by

Joining TechForce Foundation’s FutureTech Success^® Campaign

READING, Pa., Nov. 27, 2018 – Penske Truck Leasing is joining the TechForce Foundation’s efforts to recruit the next generation of truck fleet maintenance technicians by serving as an early adopter in the foundation’s FutureTech Success campaign.

The TechForce Foundation works to raise awareness with school-age students about great career opportunities as professional technicians. The FutureTech Success campaign aims to raise awareness by rolling out a national multiyear, multimedia campaign in the United States.

With a North America truck fleet of over 298,000 vehicles, and an industry-leading truck maintenance workforce of approximately 8,000 people, Penske Truck Leasing is working with TechForce Foundation to help address an industrywide employment shortage of truck maintenance technicians.

TechForce’s recent assessment shows the trucking industry needs nearly 300,000 new technicians over the next 10 years to meet demand.

“We’re at the forefront of an exciting time in our industry, as a new era of connected, autonomous, shared, and electric vehicles will evolve the already highly-advanced, traditionally-powered vehicles on the road today,” said Gregg Mangione, senior vice president of maintenance at Penske Truck Leasing. “We’re investing in TechForce to help cultivate and build a pipeline of the next generation of truck fleet maintenance technicians to meet our needs today and well into the future.”

In addition to its financial contribution, Penske Truck Leasing will take part in campaign marketing materials and advertising campaigns, while also sharing campaign content on Penske social media channels. Penske will also sit on the campaign’s National Leadership Cabinet; participate in the FutureTech video series titled: “When Techs Rock, America Rolls” to highlight Penske’s best practices; and join the foundation in speaking events at schools nationwide.

“It is important that parents and educators are informed about the great careers available in transportation, since they often influence the post-secondary choices of young people,” says Jennifer Maher, executive director at TechForce Foundation. “We are excited about Penske Truck Leasing joining our early adopters, especially because of their ability to provide additional perspective on the opportunities for truck fleet maintenance technicians.”

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 auto, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, motorsports, watercraft, welding and aviation technicians. The Foundation distributes more than $2.0 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors, and is spearheading FutureTech Success®, the industry-wide initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For more information, visit www.techforce.org.

Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P., headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, is a partnership of Penske Corporation, Penske Automotive Group and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. A leading global transportation services provider, Penske operates more than 298,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,000 locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, used truck sales, transportation and warehousing management and supply chain management solutions. Visit GoPenske.com to learn more.

Contacts:

Penske Truck Leasing: Alen Beljin 610-775-6364 alen.beljin@penske.com

TechForce Foundation: Benjamin Peoples 623-445-9422 bpeoples@techforce.org

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TechForce Foundation^® names Tina Smith as its Director of National Partnership

Scottsdale, AZ — October 08, 2018 — TechForce Foundation has named Tina Smith as its Director of National Partnership, responsible for developing corporate partnerships throughout the transportation industry (including automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine, motorsports, aviation, aftermarket and restoration segments) that aim to solve the tech shortage and fuel the pipeline of tomorrow’s workforce of qualified technicians.

TechForce, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians, recently launched its industry-wide initiative, FutureTech Success^®. The campaign harnesses the resources of the industry to raise the bar for future techs in communities across the country. For example, donated training aids and employee volunteers will be put into practice to enhance local high school shop classes and afterschool programs; national marketing will tell the story of the ‘new collar’ career and negate the outdated, grease-monkey image; and one-stop-shop resource hubs for future techs, parents, educators and industry to readily find the tools required to help students pursue the pathway.

Smith will drive the effort to identify new corporate partners willing to sponsor the FutureTech Success campaign or to donate to TechForce Foundation’s scholarship and grant program, including its Veterans at Work: Military Transition Campaign, its Accelerate Tuition Scholarships and its Life Happens Emergency Relief funds.

“Who better than Tina to tell the story of our future techs,” explains Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “Tina herself pursued a technical education, made possible thanks to a generous scholarship, became a technician, turned wrenches, and knows what it’s like to be a female technician in the industry.” Smith went on to pursue new jobs and opportunities in this vast industry, and is looking forward today to giving back, championing the next generation of youth, and helping the industry she loves prosper in its workforce development efforts. “Tina has the authenticity and passion we sought in someone who can walk the talk of the TechForce story, and help companies realize how they can be part of the solution,” added Maher.

Previously, Smith served as the national sales manager for the traditional U.S. aftermarket with Lumileds, managed its U.S. aftermarket sales program, its sales team and independent sales representative organizations. Prior, Smith worked at NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.) Inc. from 2013-’18, starting as the product services manager and advancing to become the groups manager for the North American buying groups. She was responsible for implementing sales and marketing activities within the major automotive aftermarket buying groups.

Before NGK, Smith was the lead engineering technician for 3 years at Gates Corp., where she provided technical leadership and direction within the management and engineering teams. Smith began her automotive career at Yazaki North America and served the company for 9 years as an application engineer and benchmark technician.

Tina Smith holds an associate’s degree in automotive technology from Sinclair Community College, an auto mechanics certificate from D. Russel Lee Vocational School, and is a first year Chrysler Apprenticeship Technician (CAP) graduate. She was an AASA – Emerging Leader Member 2015-‘16 and a member of the Women in Auto Care – Educational Committee 2014-‘17.

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 auto, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, motorsports, watercraft, welding and aviation technicians. The Foundation distributes more than $2.0 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors, and is spearheading FutureTech Success^®, the industry-wide initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For more information, visit www.techforce.org.

Media Contacts:       Charles Ayers, CCAR
cea@ccar-greenlink.org
847-749-4375

Jennifer Maher, TechForce Foundation
jmaher@techforce.org
623-445-0933

CCAR joins TechForce to inspire the next generation of automotive technicians

Palatine, IL — September 20, 2018 — The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR) is pleased to announce its support for the nonprofit TechForce Foundation®’s new national initiative, FutureTech Success®, an effort aimed at fueling the pipeline of tomorrow’s workforce of technicians.

FutureTech Success is an industry-wide, multi-faceted initiative to help inspire the next generation of auto, diesel and collision technicians through three strategic components:

• Repositioning the outdated, grease-monkey stigma of the profession. Through storytelling and interactions, convert parents and influencers of 13-18 year olds from naysayers to champions of the profession by delivering the message that being a transportation technician is a successful, in-demand and valued career path;
• Reinvigorating hands-on experiences. Direct funding, resources and employee engagement back into high school auto shops and afterschool programs nationwide, and make tactile challenges available for young men and women to, once again, interact with auto and diesel technology so they may experience the rewards of working and creating with their hands;
• Collective Voice. Harnessing the resources and best practices of the industry, package and present in a way future techs and their parents can find these tools, and working together, as an industry, to deliver a unified public message that America respect and values technicians, and that they’re needed to keep America rolling.

CCAR joins a myriad of other association partners supporting TechForce and its FutureTech Success campaign including, SkillsUSA, Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association (AMRA), Automotive Service Association (ASA), American Trucking Association’s Training Managers Council (TMC), Auto Care Association, Women in Auto Care, American Rental Association (ARA), ASE Training Managers Council (ATMC), and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Additionally, TechForce’s FutureTech Success campaign enjoys financial support from its ‘early adopter’ corporate supporters, each a visionary in their willingness to invest in building the infrastructure and assets for the initiative. These companies include Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Bridgestone, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Interstate Batteries, Manheim, Mercedes-Benz USA, Nissan North America, Penske Truck Leasing, Shell Lubricants, Snap-on, Toyota USA Foundation, Valvoline, WD-40 and Universal Technical Institute.

“It’s wonderful to have CCAR’s collaboration,” shares Jennifer Maher, Executive Director of TechForce Foundation. “It will take everyone in industry working together to combat the outdated, grease monkey stigma that still derails too many young people from considering the profession. With the rapid advancements in automotive technology, cars are now computers on wheels and require highly trained, skilled technicians. It’s a ‘new collar career’ that has strong demand and very rewarding opportunities.”

In supporting FutureTech Success, CCAR will help distribute public service ads, engage in social media conversations about the opportunities available in the career, identify outstanding technicians and help to tell their stories through video interviews, and assist in uniting the collective voice of its membership around the need and respect for qualified, professional technicians.

CCAR, also a non-profit organization, enjoys a singular focus on the automotive industry and its needs for safety and hazardous material compliance and training. Founded in 1994 with grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CCAR is also one of the original OSHA Alliance partners and is the only OSHA Alliance partner focused on providing safety best practice information to the automotive collision and repair industries. CCAR has twice been recognized by the ASE Training Managers Council (ATMC) with their “National Excellence in Training” award and was chosen by the North American Hazmat Action Committee (NAAHAC) to develop hazardous material handling training courses (i.e. HazmatU).

About TechForce Foundation:
TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce awards more than $2 million annually in scholarships and grants to students with financial need, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors. TechForce is also spearheading FutureTech Success®, the industry-wide initiative to help encourage and support more young people in developing their careers as future vehicle technicians.

For more information, visit www.techforce.org or follow us on Facebook @ techforce.org.

About CCAR:
Established in 1994, the Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair is a not-for-profit organization that works – internationally in scope – with the automotive industry, the insurance industry, OEM’s, career and technical schools, collision and automotive repair shops, governments, municipalities and other organizations to provide best practice information and training.

To learn more about CCAR and its programs, please visit http://www.ccar-greenlink.org.

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New Collar Jobs Redefining Labor Day

TechForce Foundation launches – Because I’m a Tech campaign.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – August 27, 2018 — TechForce Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on championing students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional transportation technicians, has launched its Because I’m a Tech campaign (hashtag #becauseimatech) to coincide with Labor Day. The campaign is designed to educate teens and parents that there’s more than one road to success, that a technical education and career is a viable pathway to a rewarding future, and about the attractive opportunities of being a professional technician in America’s robust transportation industry.

Labor Day has long been celebrated as a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. However, over the years its true meaning has taken a backseat to rituals of shopping, backyard barbecues, and for many, simply celebrating the end of summer and preparing for a new school year.

While this trend can be seen as symbolic of the distracted times we live in, TechForce sees it as an opportunity to re-engage and re-activate a growing segment of Americans who’ve become weary and afraid of the changing workforce landscape as technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence become more prevalent. Simultaneously, people are seeing the skyrocketing costs of four year universities and financial aid turning higher education into a less viable option for long-term financial success and stability.

Perhaps most concerned about these trends are the segment of 35-50 year old women and men – mothers and fathers who are faced with the challenges of shaping and supporting the career aspirations of their teenage sons and daughters who are on the verge of making decisions that will heavily impact their own social and economic futures.

The Because I’m a Tech campaign is designed to:

• connect students who are hands-on learners and problem-solvers, who love fixing and making things work, who have an affinity for computers, diagnostics and technology to an education and career that fits them;
• teach parents and their teens about the social and economic achievements that can await them by pursuing a technical education and career as a professional, trained technician;
• ease fears and help parents and influencers understand how and why these careers are no longer considered “blue collar,” but rather “new collar”;
• show that technicians are not being replacedby automation and technology, but rather advanced by it;
• let them see firsthand how realpeople are building rich and fulfilling lives BECAUSE THEY ARE TECHS. Videos at futuretechsuccess.org
• demonstrate exactly where and how to start one’s own journey down this promising path by providing an actual “roadmap” to success. Downloadable maps at futuretechsuccess.org/map.

According to Jennifer Maher, CEO/executive director of TechForce, “Today’s techs are well paid, highly skilled, hands-on problem solvers who are not burdened by massive school debt like their four-year school counterparts. As we change the outdated image of this profession, we can get more students interested in becoming technicians.”

The obsolete view of yesterday’s transportation careers had typecast them as low-tech “blue collar” jobs. The reality is the mechanic has been replaced by a highly trained technician, and the profession has evolved to high-tech, “new collar” careers where smart and talented individuals can find economic stability and personal fulfillment.

Well-intended educators and their incentives have done a disservice to our future workforce by positioning a four-year degree as the only road to a successful career (hashtag #morethanone). For some, technical schools are a better path and better aligned with their tactile (hands-on) knack for problem solving. Financial feasibility is also a significant factor in the current environment of skyrocketing college loan debt. Tech school graduates have considerably less educational debt and pay it off faster than their four-year counterparts. Technicians consistently report that they find their work much more fulfilling than they would if they were stuck at a traditional desk job.

High Tech and High Demand

The days of the “grease monkey” are long gone. Today’s vehicles have millions more lines of code than the spaceship that put man on the moon. Transportation techs are computer savvy and in demand. One out of every seven jobs in the U.S. is transportation related and there is a massive shortage of qualified technicians which means hiring demand is sky-high. Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data show the annual demand for new tech graduates is more than double the number that are graduating – essentially more than two new job openings to every one tech graduate.

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 auto, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, motorsports, watercraft, welding and aviation technicians. The Foundation distributes more than $2.0 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors, and is spearheading FutureTech Success®, the industry-wide initiative to help encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For more information, visit www.techforce.org.

Photo and infographic preview available here.

Media Contacts

Mike Pressendo, mpressendo@techforce.org, 602-363-8861

Jennifer Maher, Executive Director, jmaher@techforce.org, 602-550-0371

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TechForce Foundation Sponsors $6,000 in Scholarships for Women Entering the Transportation Industry

TechForce Foundation recently sponsored two $3,000 scholarships for young women pursuing careers in the transportation industry. The scholarships were administered by Women in Auto Care, a partner of the Foundation.

Callie discovered automotive two years ago, and in that time, has fallen in love with working under the hood. When Callie first picked up a wrench, she says she had no idea, “that it would change me and my life forever.”

Unlike Callie, Cassie’s passion for engines goes back as far as she can remember. Whether it was a dirt bike, a truck, or even a snowmobile, you could be certain Cassie was either working on the motor herself or watching and learning from her brother. For years, Cassie worked with her brother every weekend to build, repair and race dirt bikes at competitions.

Cassie is enrolled in welding at a college in her home state of Nevada. Her passion for the industry rivals the passion of any artist for their craft. Cassie works to understand metallurgy and strives to become a true master of the trade.

Whatever head start Cassie’s early interest in the trade may have had on Callie’s, the two scholarship winners are on equal footing today.

Callie graduated high school in June and is registered to begin classes in automotive technology in the fall. While only a month out of high school, Callie has already received ASE certification in brakes, steering and suspension, and manual drive-trains and axles.

Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that Callie is president of her local SkillsUSA chapter. She has participated in numerous competitions and is particularly proud of one in which she built and demonstrated her own mock starter circuit.

Similarly, Cassie has been called a “natural,” a “future master technician,” and a “superstar” by shop owners and master mechanics alike. When the motor on Cassie’s car failed, she rebuilt it herself. When reflecting on the challenge she said, “It was a wonderful experience to work on my own engine…It was really cool to take a motor that wasn’t running and get it built, back in the truck, and on the road again.” Cassie expects to complete her welding program this summer and will move on to studying diesel technology at another Nevada school in the fall.

The $3,000 in scholarships both Cassie and Callie received will help them transition into the next stage of their education where they will learn the skills which will place them in an in-demand and rapidly growing industry.

Women are an underrepresented group among auto technicians, and TechForce Foundation is proud to be able to partner with Women in Auto Care to encourage women to pursue the trade. Both Cassie and Callie have what it takes to become top-notch technicians. Congratulations, again, to both scholarship winners.

Women in Auto Care is comprised of auto care professionals dedicated to providing opportunities, education and career leadership to women in the auto care industry, through networking, mentoring, recruitment, recognition, consumer education, and communicating industry information. To learn more about Women in Auto Care, visit WomeninAutoCare.org

TechForce Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to champion students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. For more about TechForce Foundation and its scholarship programs, visit TechForceFoundation.org/scholarships.

STEAM Sports Foundation Launches the “STEAM Behind Motorsports” Curriculum

(Atlanta, GA, July 18, 2018) – STEAM Sports Foundation, an affiliate of the STEAM Sports Group, recently introduced a six-activity “STEAM Sports Classroom” curriculum about the STEAM Behind Motorsports.  Designed as a two-week study, the curriculum focuses on chassis, data analytics, engine, fuel, nutrition and tires. There are both middle school and high school level programs. The curriculum is provided through a grant by TechForce Foundation^® (www.techforce.org) whose mission is to champion students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians.

Created in cooperation with Honda Performance Development, it is written by Dr. Laura Bottomley of N.C. State’s The Engineering Place, who has spent the last 25 years working with integrated STEM curriculum.  She has taught every grade – kindergarten through graduate school – and has been recognized with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Mathematics Mentoring (PAESMEM) at the White House.  She was featured in two national commercials, one during Super Bowl 50 by Chevron, entitled “Doing Good with STEM.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnl79YtItGc)

If any school or educator is interested in obtaining the curriculum, please click HERE and follow the instructions provided.  The “STEAM Sports Classroom” curriculum is located on the STEAM Sports Foundation website:  www.steamsportsgroup.com.  There is a $35 fee for the download, a portion of which will go toward STEAM sports scholarships.

TechForce Report Reveals Growing Severity of the Supply Shortage in Vehicle Technicians

Gap between postsecondary graduate numbers and job openings continues to widen

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – June 26, 2018 — TechForce Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on championing and aiding aspiring transportation technicians has released a new report  — “Transportation Technician Supply Report” — that reveals the growing severity of the vehicle technician supply shortage.

Based on an analysis of National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) 2011-2016 data, TechForce found that postsecondary supply of new entrant vehicle technicians has not kept up with the spike in demand. Although the shortage has been ongoing, it became more severe in 2013 and the gap between supply and demand has continued to increase through the present. New entrant technicians are those needed to fill the growth in new positions in the occupation as well as replace those who leave the occupation. They are distinguished from experienced technicians who may move between employers but don’t add to the overall trained workforce in the occupation.

The report reveals that auto tech postsecondary completions have been declining since 2013. The supply of postsecondary auto graduates decreased by 1,829 completions in 2016 from 2012.  There were an estimated 38,829 graduates for 2016 in contrast to the projected Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) new entrant demand of 75,900.  Private sector institutions have experienced the greatest decline while public two-year institutions (primarily community colleges) have increased substantially.

The supply of collision technicians has been steadily declining over the past six years. Conversely, total postsecondary completions for diesel programs have increased over the same period.  The projected BLS new entrant demand for diesel technicians is 28,300 annually against a supply of 11,966 in 2016. For the collision market, the projected BLS annual new entrant demand is 17,200 technicians compared to supply of 5,791 completions in 2016.

As to what can be done to alleviate the supply shortage, Jennifer Maher, CEO/executive director of TechForce said, “Our country and education system have divested in high school auto shops and stigmatized trade school education which is killing the trades. A big part of the problem is the outdated image of the ‘grease monkey’ mechanic that students and their parents, teachers and counselors may have. Today’s techs are well paid, highly skilled, hands-on problem solvers who are not burdened by massive school debt like their four-year school counterparts. As we change this image we can get more students interested in becoming technicians.”

Doug Young, co-author of the report and managing director of Wilcap L.L.C, said, “Changing perceptions will require building a pipeline into the industry—before parents and students have committed to ‘college for all,’ before students have decided that they aren’t interested in STEM subjects in high school, and before the old perceptions eliminate any interest among parents and career counselors in learning more about the opportunities in the transportation technician occupations.”

Greg Settle, the other co-author of the report and TechForce’s director of national initiatives, said, “With only a small percentage of students interested in going into a skilled trade versus seeking a college degree, the competition among all the skilled trades for those students is fierce. If you look at auto technicians, they can make a very solid, middle-class income. However, starting wages for auto technicians are among the lowest across the skilled trades, and that is often what young and men and women will focus on when making a career decision. Add to that the fact that entry-level technicians are expected to arrive at their first job with their own tools and it does not make the career very attractive, compared with other choices.”

According to Maher, “Without some form of focused, collective action, the transportation industry will continue to suffer from inadequately financed, fragmented efforts to solve these problems.  A solution requires pooling resources and consistent public messaging to change perceptions and build a talent pipeline. TechForce Foundation is dedicated to providing the collective source of action to solve the root causes of the problem.”

This report, along with last year’s demand report, are examples of how TechForce works to create awareness of the problem, provide credible data to support the industry’s claims, and with even greater industry participation, improve the range and quality of these services.

Funding for the report was provided by TechForce donors, including Advance Auto Parts, Autoshop Solutions, AutoZone, Babcox Media, Bridgestone Retail Operations, Cengage, General Motors, George Arrants Enterprises, Interstate Batteries, Nissan North America, Manheim, Shell Lubricants, Snap-on, S/P2, Sunstate Equipment, Toyota Foundation, Universal Technical Institute, Valvoline, WD-40 and 10 Missions Media.

About TechForce Foundation

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

Media Contacts

Mike Pressendo, mpressendo@techforce.org, 602-363-8861

Jennifer Maher, Executive Director, jmaher@techforce.org, 602-550-0371