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Enterprise and Ford Partner to Expand Collision Engineering Program

Automotive Industry Leaders Enterprise and Ford Partner to Expand Collision Engineering Program

Industry Partnership will Address National Collision Technician Shortage and Open the Program’s Seventh U.S. School

ST. LOUIS (Jan. 18, 2023) – Enterprise Holdings, through the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, today announced a strategic partnership with Ford Motor Company Fund to support the growth of the industry-leading Collision Engineering Program (CEP). The new industry partnership will expand the CEP to a new college that will become the seventh school to offer the two-year apprenticeship model, founded by Enterprise Holdings Foundation and Ranken Technical College, to attract and develop entry-level talent to fill essential roles within the collision repair industry.

A photo of a man and woman in professional attire looking under the hood at a vehicle engine.
The Collision Engineering Program unites industry and education to foster pathways to rewarding careers in the automotive industry.

The Ford Fund will offer scholarships to CEP students to prevent any barriers to students’ academic success. Ford Fund’s support will also fund program startup costs, instructor training and school equipment such as lab materials, and provide students access to toolkits, uniforms, PPE, certifications, tuition assistance, assessments and other student-centered resources at the new school.  

“This is an exciting time to support students pursuing careers in collision engineering,” said Mike Schmidt, economic mobility director at Ford Motor Company Fund. “As the auto industry is rapidly evolving, the need for bright minds who are passionate about technical careers becomes greater every day. Partnerships like these allow us to drive progress more quickly, and with a greater impact, for the next generation of engineers.” 

With more than 110,000 new collision technicians needed between 2022 and 2026, according to the TechForce Foundation, a national public charity, the CEP is designed in collaboration with the automotive industry and encourages schools and industry leaders to work together to build a new generation of highly skilled, motivated and passionate collision repair professionals. Throughout the Program, students learn in both classrooms and modern collision engineering facilities where industry experts provide real-world education as students work toward earning their associate degree.

“Widespread industry support is vital to addressing the worker shortage and skills gap, and to ensuring the success of the Collision Engineering Program,” said Mary Mahoney, vice president at Enterprise Holdings. “As a leader in the automotive industry, we’re committed to addressing these challenges with our partners. We could not be more thrilled to expand our longtime partnership with Ford Motor Company, through its philanthropic arm, the Ford Fund, to increase access to the Program and help address this ongoing industry challenge.” 

The CEP is also partnering with the TechForce Foundation to help administer the Ford Fund scholarships for students enrolled in the Program. 

“This collaboration enables even more students who are passionate about the collision engineering field to pursue their dreams,” said Jennifer Maher, executive director of TechForce Foundation. “Cars today are computers on wheels, and the technology is advancing rapidly. It takes a highly skilled technician — an engineer — who can properly service the paint and body, calibration and mechanics required to ensure the repair and safety of the vehicle. TechForce is honored to partner with CEP and Ford Fund to administer the Ford Fund scholarships.” 

The Program is currently active at six schools across the U.S. including Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, Missouri; College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois; Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California; Collin College in Allen, Texas; Texas State Technical College in Waco, Texas; and Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska. The seventh school that will be opened through the Ford Fund’s support will be announced in the coming months. 

For more information about the Collision Engineering Program, visit www.beacollisionengineer.com.

About Enterprise Holdings

Enterprise Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of mobility solutions, owning and operating the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands through its integrated global network of independent regional subsidiaries. Enterprise Holdings and its affiliates offer extensive car rental, carsharing, truck rental, fleet management, retail car sales, as well as travel management and other transportation services, to make travel easier and more convenient for customers. Privately held by the Taylor family of St. Louis, Mo., Enterprise Holdings manages a diverse fleet of more than 2.1 million vehicles through a network of nearly 10,000 fully staffed neighborhood and airport rental locations in more than 90 countries and territories.

About Ford Motor Company Fund 

As the automaker’s philanthropic arm, Ford Motor Company Fund has been supporting local communities for more than 70 years. Working with nonprofit organizations, community partners, and across the Ford network in the U.S. and in 43 countries, Ford Fund provides resources and opportunities that advance racial equity and empower people to reach their highest potential. Since 1949, Ford and Ford Fund have invested more than $2.2 billion in initiatives that ensure basic needs are met, provide access to essential services, offer tools to build new skillsets, and open pathways to high-quality jobs.

About TechForce Foundation 

TechForce Foundation is a national nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce powers the technician workforce by awarding more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually to financially-disadvantaged students; changes perceptions towards this evolving, ‘new collar’ STEM career; and provides local career exploration and workforce development programming. TechForce’s online, social network of students, working technicians, instructors, employers, industry professionals and enthusiasts committed to championing the technician workforce is the conduit through which the charity delivers its free resources, programs and career hub for the benefit of aspiring technicians. For more information, visit techforce.org. Follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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2022 Techs Rock Awards Grand Prize Winner Announcement

TechForce Foundation® Announces Grand Prize Winner
In 4th Annual Techs Rock AwardsTM

Auto Technician Daniel McCrum of Gulfport, MS Named Grand Prize Winner; Five Professional Technicians Honored for Passion and Commitment to Career

 

December 6, 2022 — PHOENIX — TechForce Foundation® announces automotive technician Daniel McCrum of CarMax in Gulfport, MS as the 2022 Techs Rock Awards Grand Prize Winner. TechForce created this prestigious award in 2018 to honor professional technicians who mentor and inspire the next generation of techs, bring excellence to their workplaces and communities, and demonstrate passion and commitment to the profession. Meet the full slate of honorees including Category and Grand Prize Winners at TechForce.org/TechsRock.

“What!? Wow… I’m in, like, shock right now. Thank you!” Daniel exclaimed upon learning of his Award. “I kinda thought I had a pretty fair chance to win something because of everything I overcame, but I didn’t think I could win the whole thing. This is a national contest… it’s nationwide wide and I won!”

Not every student needs to go to a 4-year university. TechForce created the Techs Rock Awards to highlight the contributions of technicians in their workplaces and communities and demonstrate to the public that a technical education and career is a viable pathway to success. The Awards showcase the benefits of an in-demand technician career to spark students’ interest, and the TechForce Network meets those students where they are with the resources needed to explore and pursue a technical education and career.

Thousands of TechForce followers weighed in to select Daniel as the Grand Prize Winner from among five Category Winners in the November 28 – December 2, 2022 People’s Choice public vote. Daniel previously won the Awards’ Barrier Buster Category.

As the Grand Prize Winner Daniel will receive more than $10,000 in total prizes from TechForce and our industry partners. Prize sponsors include Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Caliber, Cengage Learning, CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Snap-on Industrial and WD-40 Company.

Since 2018 technicians have received more than $27,000 in prizes. Over $17,500 in prizes are being awarded in the 2022 Techs Rock Awards alone, including:

  • Each Category Winner (Grand Prize Winner included) received tools, gift cards and other prizes valued at over $1,700.
  • The Grand Prize Winner also receives an all-expenses-paid trip to STX 2024 in Orlando, FL valued at $3,000 courtesy of Advance Auto Parts, along with an additional prize package valued at over $5,500.

The five Category Winners represent less than one percent of the nearly 700 technicians nominated. Winners were selected by a panel of expert celebrity judges including Emily Reeves, Flying Sparks Garage; Charles Sanville, The Humble Mechanic; Bogi Lateiner, Bogi’s Garage; Pete Meier, Motor Age Magazine; and Julia Landauer, Julia Landauer Racing.

The 2022 Category Winners represent five states and five companies including one independently-owned auto repair shop and one technical school. Each honoree is recognized in one of the Techs Rock Awards’ distinct categories:

  • Barrier Buster – Daniel McCrum, Carmax. The Barrier Buster category recognizes technicians for showing heart and passion in overcoming obstacles to succeed.
  • Die Hard – Joshua Ferrantino, Rodman Ford. The Die Hard category recognizes industry superfans who live, breathe, sleep, and thrive in their career.
  • Outstanding Mentor – Frank Mendoza, Flow Nissan & NASCAR Technical Institute. The Outstanding Mentor category recognizes techs for providing support and guidance to the industry’s future technicians.
  • Pay it Forward – Zachary Carlsen, Northern Auto Repair. The Pay it Forward category recognizes technicians for being a community advocate and inspiring the next generation of techs.
  • Rookie of the Year – Kael Gortat, Carmax. The Rookie of the Year category recognizes up-and-coming tech professionals with under two years’ professional experience.

The Techs Rock Awards are part of TechForce’s workforce development campaign to inspire and support tomorrow’s workforce of technicians. TechForce also created the first and only social network designed and gamified for professional technicians and tech students to connect with each other, employers and schools (TechForce.org). The transportation community is supporting it with content and using it to learn, connect, find events, and explore job opportunities while competing for prizes and leaderboard status.

About TechForce Foundation

TechForce Foundation is a national nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce powers the technician workforce by awarding more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually to financially-disadvantaged students; changes perceptions towards this evolving, ‘new collar’ STEM career; and provides local career exploration and workforce development programming. TechForce’s online, social network of students, working technicians, instructors, employers, industry professionals and enthusiasts committed to championing the technician workforce is the conduit through which the charity delivers its free resources, programs and career hub for the benefit of aspiring technicians. For more information, visit TechForce.org. Follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube.

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TechForce Releases 2022 Technician Supply & Demand Report

TechForce Report Highlights Extended Decline In Supply of New Technicians

Supply of incoming automotive techs from post-secondary programs dropped 11.8% last year, according to 2022 Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report

November 1, 2022 – LAS VEGAS – The supply of new entrant technicians from automotive post-secondary education programs in the U.S. dropped 11.8%, to 28,866, in 2021, widening current and projected shortfalls of professionals needed to service the nation’s automotive fleet, according to TechForce Foundation’s 2022 Transportation Technician Supply & Demand Report. The supply of program graduates (completions) slipped 2.6% and 0.4%, respectively, in the diesel and collision repair segments but has fallen by a combined 17% over the past five years.

The worsening technician supply picture – with combined completions dropping from 48,208 in 2020 to 44,052 in 2021, overshadows a strong year-over-year rebound in technician employment in the automotive (+4.2%) and diesel (+6.5%) repair segments. Total employment of collision repair technicians dropped 0.7% percent, however, continuing a six-year decline.

TechForce estimates demand for new entrant automotive/diesel/collision repair technicians – for new positions, replacements for occupational separations and unfilled positions from prior years – will reach 232,000 in 2022 and total well over 900,000 through 2026.

For the first time, the annual report also includes labor data for the U.S. aviation industry, which currently employs more than 150,000 technicians who maintain and repair aviation and avionics equipment and systems. TechForce projects nearly 78,000 new entrant technicians will be needed to fill these roles between 2022 and 2026.

“This year’s report underscores not only the challenges we face in attracting, training and retaining technicians but also the boundless opportunities for talented young people to build successful, rewarding careers in one of the world’s most dynamic and technology-intensive industries,” said TechForce Foundation CEO Jennifer Maher. “The solution to this crisis lies in industry, nonprofit, education and government partners working together to build awareness, curiosity and interest in these careers among our youth.”

TechForce helps lead this industry-wide effort by inspiring people to explore the technician profession; supporting students in obtaining the technical education needed to be workforce-ready; and connecting techs to resources, mentors and employers to thrive in their careers. The Foundation has awarded more than $17 million in scholarships and grants and engaged and impacted more than 40,000 students.

Click here to download the 2022 Technician Supply & Demand Report, and click here to download related artwork.

About TechForce Foundation
TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce powers the technician workforce by awarding more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants annually to financially disadvantaged students; changes perceptions towards this evolving, “new collar” STEM career; and provides local career exploration and workforce development programming. TechForce’s online, social network of students, working technicians, instructors, employers, industry professionals and enthusiasts committed to championing the technician workforce is the conduit through which the charity delivers its free resources, programs and career hub for the benefit of aspiring technicians. For more information, visit techforce.org. Follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube.

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Residual Values: Interview with Jennifer Maher

3/17/2021

Read Premier Financial Services, LLC’s interview with TechForce Foundation CEO & Executive Director Jennifer Maher in their Residual Values newsletter. Learn more about TechForce Foundation, the ongoing transportation technician shortage and Jennifer’s own experience as a woman in the transportation industry.

You can read the full interview below, or as PDF in your browser here>>

 

Page 1 of 4 of Residual Values: Interview with Jennifer Maher

 

Page 2 of 4 of Residual Values: Interview with Jennifer Maher

Page 3 of 4 of Residual Values: Interview with Jennifer Maher

Page 4 of 4 of Residual Values: Interview with Jennifer Maher

 

 

 

Tackling The Technician Shortage | Tire Business



In this webinar Tire Business Reporter Kathy McCarron talks with Jennifer Maher of TechForce Foundation, and Dan Gilley of RLO Training about some of the initiatives underway to encourage young people to pursue an automotive service career and review ways tire dealers and auto repair shops can attract and retain qualified technicians.
 
 
The livestream webinar is also available on Tire Business’s website at the following link:
https://www.tirebusiness.com/tb-live-tackling-technician-shortage-what-can-dealerships-do-find-and-retain-technicians
 

Technician Shortage Worse Than Predicted

In a new report, the TechForce Foundation is predicting that demand for new vehicle technicians from 2016 to 2026 will be three times higher than was previously projected for the 2014 to 2024 period.

The TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit that supports technical education, has released its Transportation Technician New Entrant Demand report, which reveals the severity of the technician shortage.

Based on analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the report focuses on technicians that are joining the field, rather than on experienced technicians who move around but don’t add to the overall trained workforce.

Read the full article on Truckinginfo.com – Technician Shortage

 

 

75,900 Auto Technicians Needed

Previously, BLS projections showed an average annual new entrant demand of 23,720 auto technicians for the 2014-2024 period. TechForce’s report has revised that number to show demand for 75,900 for the 2016-2026 decade. The demand for collision and diesel technicians is similar. The newly projected BLS average annual new entrant demand of 28,300 diesel technicians far exceeds the previously projected demand of 7,690.

Read the full article on www.Automotive-Fleet.com | Technician Shortage

TechForce Foundation announces Partnership with Interstate Batteries

 

TechForce Foundation announces Partnership with Interstate Batteries

 

For years, society has pushed that a university education is the only path to a successful career. This messaging steered students away from exploring trade careers—such as automotive technicians and electricians—leaving most to view these jobs as undesirable with no future. But this is not the case.

The U.S. is home to the second largest passenger vehicle market in the world. These vehicles are highly sophisticated, typically outfitted with over 100 million lines of code and thousands of parts. In addition, they are on average 11.5 years old. Because vehicles are now more complicated and staying on the road longer, the auto repair industry is set for massive growth. Coupled with an aging technician population, this occupation has high earning potential and almost guaranteed job security for those entering the field.

Interstate Batteries is playing a part in changing this narrative by signing on as a main sponsor of the FutureTech SuccessSM campaign, in cooperation with the TechForce Foundation. The campaign’s goal is to eliminate the stereotype of the “grease-monkey mechanic,” by encouraging and providing opportunities for young people to explore and tinker, while informing parents and influencers of the career potential in the transportation industry. By supporting FutureTech Success, Interstate Batteries is championing the technicians of tomorrow.

“This is an issue that affects everyone in our industry,” said Tom Gray, vice president of marketing, Interstate Batteries. “We’ve been wanting to take action for some time and TechForce Foundation has the right message, tools and caliber partners to help us make that difference.”

Interstate Batteries’ contribution to FutureTech Success will help fund marketing campaigns and grassroots projects that will inspire young people to learn more about this industry. The donation will also provide resources for parents, schools and other influencers to help identify young person’s natural tactile intelligence, which translates to some of the skills necessary to be a technician.

With the support of its corporate and association sponsors, such as Interstate Batteries, Nissan, Pennzoil, and General Motors, TechForce Foundation seeks to enact great change, unifying the transportation industry to encourage young, tactile-minded individuals to consider the industry for what it truly is: innovative, exciting and filled with opportunity.

For more information on TechForce Foundation, visit: www.techforce.org.

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 technicians for the transportation industry. TechForce Foundation awards more than $1 million in scholarships and grants annually to students facing financial hardship so they may obtain their post-secondary technical education. Additionally, TechForce leads the FutureTech SuccessSM campaign, an industry-wide initiative to drive tomorrow’s workforce of technicians by inspiring, supporting and connecting middle- and high-school students and their influencers with the resources to support their technical education and career development. For more information visit www.techforce.org.

About Interstate Batteries
For more than 65 years, Interstate Batteries® has powered people down roads, trails and waterways and businesses to succeed. Best known for its starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, this product has been under car hoods since 1952, each one backed by the company’s service, quality and value. Interstate PowerCare® offers premier products and technical expertise for all critical motive power needs, while Interstate All Battery Center® provides portable power in both retail and commercial markets. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Interstate Batteries is an industry leader in recycling efforts, as well as a global leader in safe lead handling practices. Guided by a set of common values, the company’s purpose is to glorify God and enrich lives while delivering the most trustworthy source of power to the world. For more information, visit www.interstatebatteries.com.

AutoZone Supports the FutureTech Success™ Initiative to Fuel Future Technician Workforce

Memphis, Tenn. (October 05, 2017) – AutoZone, Inc., (NYSE: AZO), the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive parts and accessories, has signed on as a national corporate sponsor of TechForce Foundation’s FutureTech Success™ campaign, an industry-wide initiative to fuel the future pipeline of transportation technicians by repositioning the image of the profession and providing middle- and high-school students and their parents with the resources and opportunities to foster hands-on, tactile intelligence.

Since its creation, the initiative has rallied the support of many corporate and association partners, the latest being AutoZone, which, in addition to its retail operation, has an extensive commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations, and public sector accounts.

“We are proud and eager to build the FutureTech Success campaign with the TechForce Foundation and fellow sponsors,” explains Mitch Major, Vice President, Commercial Support, AutoZone and President, ALLDATA.” “We appreciate their vision and strategic leadership in engaging young people in communities across the U.S. in the automotive industry.”

Since 2011, AutoZone has been a generous benefactor of the Foundation, funding scholarships and grants for students pursuing a technical education. The investment in FutureTech Success demonstrates the long-term commitment to students’ development and careers.

FutureTech Success seeks to inform and inspire young people who have the aptitude to thrive in the field of transportation tech, empowering them to pursue greatness in a career they may have never before considered. There are many individuals with the talent and passion perfectly tailored to careers as technicians, and the industry is in need of every last one of them it can get.

“We so strongly believe this initiative has the potential to revolutionize the industry, but it can only do so with the right tools and support,” expresses Jennifer Maher, CEO, TechForce Foundation. “By signing on as a sponsor of FutureTech Success, AutoZone is providing a vital component of that support to ensure the success of the initiative, as well as declaring a commitment to the industry’s future.”

TechForce Foundation and AutoZone look forward to the impact this partnership will have on both the industry itself, and the lives of the FutureTechs who will help it thrive.

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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 technicians for the transportation industry. TechForce Foundation awards more than $1 million in scholarships and grants annually to students facing financial hardship so they may obtain their post-secondary technical education. Additionally, TechForce leads the FutureTech Success campaign, an industry-wide initiative to drive tomorrow’s workforce of technicians by inspiring, supporting and connecting middle- and high-school students and their influencers with the resources to support their technical education and career development. For more information, visit www.techforce.org.

About AutoZone (NYSE:AZO)
As of August 26, 2017 AutoZone sells auto and light truck parts, chemicals and accessories through 5,465 AutoZone stores in 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in the U.S., and 524 stores in Mexico, 26 IMC branches and 14 stores in Brazil for a total count of 6,029.

AutoZone is the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. Each AutoZone store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products.  Many stores also have a commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations, and public sector accounts.  IMC branches carry an extensive line of original equipment quality import replacement parts.  AutoZone also sells the ALLDATA brand diagnostic and repair software through www.alldata.com. Additionally, we sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products through www.autozone.com, and accessories, performance and replacement parts through www.autoanything.com, and our commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com and www.imcparts.net.  AutoZone does not derive revenue from automotive repair or installation.

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AutoZone Contact Information:
Media:  Ray Pohlman

866.966.3017

ray.pohlman@autozone.com

Financial: Brian Campbell

901.495.7005

brian.campbell@autozone.com

 

 

Sunstate Equipment Donates $15,000 to Help TechForce Foundation Solve Tech Shortage

As the transportation and heavy equipment industry faces a severe shortfall of qualified automotive and diesel technicians, Sunstate Equipment, a leading Arizona-based equipment rental company with a long history of supporting local communities through charitable giving, is taking action by awarding $15,000 in combined grants to TechForce Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, that will help students demonstrating financial hardship get to and through their technical education and into careers as qualified, professional technicians.

With a widespread deficit of skilled technicians, the industry faces a labor force shortage that could reach increasingly critical levels in the coming years. By supporting TechForce Foundation, Sunstate is not only helping ensure a new generation of skilled technicians enter the industry, but it is also helping provide positive impact on the lives of a deserving group of individuals—our military veterans.

As a company that values people—in fact, 20 percent of Sunstate’s employees have been with them for 20 years or more—Sunstate believes it’s important to take care of people, especially those who’ve sacrificed so much to take care of us. By giving a $5,000 grant to TechForce Foundation’s Veterans at Work: Military Transition Fund, Sunstate is helping cover necessary costs of technical training, such as tuition, relocation and startup, along with advanced training and unforeseen emergency expenses so newly separated veterans can get the training they need to transition their military skills into civilian careers in the transportation industry.

Consequently, by helping incoming veteran students attain their technical education, the industry benefits with a new generation of well-trained, highly-skilled technicians ready to step in and fill the void left by retiring Baby Boomers.  

“It’s undeniable how much of an effect the technician shortage is having on the transportation industry as a whole,” explains Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “Whether you are talking techs trained in automotive, diesel trucking and heavy equipment, motorcycles, boats…it’s the same across the board—there’s simply not enough qualified graduates to meet the demand.”

Knowing how much the shortage will negatively impact the future of the industry, Sunstate has also contributed $10,000 in support of TechForce Foundation’s drive to fuel the future pipeline of transportation technicians, FutureTech Successsm.

Through FutureTech Successsm, TechForce Foundation seeks to eliminate antiquated, negative stereotypes, to give middle- and high-school students, parents and influencers the tools to recognize and foster tactile intelligence, and to create a central industry hub of information, resources and best practices.

Sunstate’s support of the initiative goes beyond just monetary aid; its commitment to the mission of FutureTech Successsm is an inclusive, company-wide effort. Sunstate employees have pledged to be a part of the FutureTech Successsm initiative by volunteering for mentoring and participating in video testimonials, which is an especially viable tool for reaching today’s youth that have been raised in a media-driven world.

TechForce Foundation has a big vision but a limited budget for the initiative’s content. To further support this important mission, Sunstate has generously provided the resources needed to produce high quality video content for the FutureTech Successsm microsite. By using real-life examples to demonstrate the many exciting and prosperous career paths available in the transportation industry, young people and their parents and influencers are introduced to the world of transportation technology as a viable, stable, innovative career path. This knowledge is essential for encouraging and raising up the future workforce the industry.

With the technician shortage at an all-time high, it will take the backing of the entire industry to really move the needle on the deficit. “Industry partners like Sunstate are a vital component in this initiative,” explains Maher. “Support of FutureTech Successsm is about declaring a commitment to the future of the industry and a promise to look out for its members. It’s powerful, and it has the potential to really revolutionize the transportation industry if we all remain united on that front.”

With the support of its corporate and association sponsors, TechForce Foundation seeks to enact great change, unifying the transportation industry in one call to encourage young, tactile-minded individuals to consider the industry for what it truly is: innovative, exciting and filled with opportunity.

“The transportation industry is incredibly misunderstood from the outside,” explains Larry Cox, Vice President of Culture at Sunstate Equipment. “Being a technician is a great, high-tech, stable career choice, but that doesn’t have to be a final destination. The industry is sprawling and offers so many different career paths, all built on innovation and starving for talent. That is the message FutureTech Successsm is aiming to convey and why Sunstate’s decision to support the initiative was such an easy one.”

TechForce Foundation and Sunstate Equipment are proud to partner in their commitment to future technicians and the industry, and they look forward to promoting progress and prosperity within the industry through scholarships, grants for veterans, and the FutureTech Successsm initiative.

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 technicians for the transportation industry. TechForce Foundation awards more than $1 million in scholarships and grants annually to students facing financial hardship so they may obtain their post-secondary technical education. Additionally, TechForce leads the FutureTech Successsm campaign, an industry-wide initiative to drive tomorrow’s workforce of technicians by inspiring, supporting and connecting middle- and high-school students and their influencers with the resources to support their technical education and career development. For more information visit www.techforce.org.

About Sunstate Equipment Co.

Sunstate Equipment has provided construction, industrial and special event companies with top-quality rental equipment and tools since 1977, helping customers safely and efficiently complete projects on-time and on-budget with reliable service and dependable people. Sunstate currently has equipment rental locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Visit www.SunstateEquip.com for more information.

 

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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