Ford Auto Tech Scholarship

March 14, 2024 Industry Source 813 Views 0 Comments Automotive Technology, Technical Education

Ford Motor Co. announced that its philanthropic Ford Fund, along with Ford dealers, is investing $2 million in scholarship money throughout the country to help students become automotive technicians. Ford Auto Tech Scholarship.

The Ford Auto Tech Scholarship project will award 400 needs-based scholarships to current or future students who have completed high school and enrolled in auto programs, according to a Ford news release.

This investment is twice what the Ford Fund announced in 2023, when it launched the effort. The application process runs through Aug. 31.

To apply for a scholarship this year, applicants must study in the areas of Detroit; Greater Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; Phoenix; Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Miami; Seattle, or Cincinnati. Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis and applications reviewed when received, Ford said.

The pinch in hiring auto techs

“The automotive industry continues to face an ongoing shortage of technicians, with over 400,000 techs needed by 2027,” Ford said in its news release. “Now in its second year, the Ford Auto Tech Scholarship creates opportunities for rewarding, well-paying careers as the industry moves toward electrification and software integration.”

Last year’s program directly resulted in 200 students receiving $1 million in scholarships across four regions: Greater Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix, the automaker said. The automaker directed scholarships to regions with the most need for training.

Elena Ford, great-great granddaughter of Ford founder Henry Ford, is chief dealer engagement officer for the Dearborn automaker.

“As vehicles become more advanced, we need highly skilled technicians to maintain and service them,” she said in a statement. “Partnering with our dealers to invest in these students helps create job opportunities, shapes the future of our communities, and drives growth in our industry.“

Elena Ford, chief dealer engagement officer at Ford Motor Co., mentioned the need for more trained auto technicians in a news release sent Monday, March 4, 2024.

The $5,000 scholarship per student will be awarded to people earning automotive technology degrees or certificates from various accredited programs. May be used for tuition, tools, living expenses and transportation. Ford dealers will offer support, advice, on-site training and career guidance, Ford said.

Making the occupation more accessible

The Ford Auto Tech scholarships will be administered by the national nonprofit TechForce Foundation.

“Every technician plays a vital role in moving our communities forward. In order to solve the shortage of technicians the transportation industry currently faces, and because diversity drives innovation, we need to make the field more accessible for people of all backgrounds,” Jennifer Maher, chief executive officer of the TechForce Foundation, said in the Ford news release. “By partnering with Ford dealers and Ford Fund to remove barriers to entry and increase greater economic mobility, we pave the way for more communities to thrive.”

Makenna Enga

“I am extremely passionate about pursuing a technical education in automotive technology for many reasons,” Enga said in the news release. “To start with, a pretty obvious one is the lack of women in the industry. No one in my family has studied a trade, but I believe I was made for it.”