Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced a donation of $100,000 to the TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit that supports students’ technical education and careers in the automotive industry. Funds donated from Bridgestone Retail Operations, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, and the Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund will provide scholarships and grants for students pursuing careers as automotive technicians and supply resources for those seeking jobs post-graduation.
“In order to provide trusted service that helps keep drivers safe on the road, our industry must come together to help develop and support the next generation of skilled automotive technicians,” said Heather Robertson, executive director, human resources, Bridgestone Retail Operations. “A career as an automotive technician can provide competitive compensation and unlimited opportunities for growth for young people, and we appreciate our partners at the TechForce Foundation who are working to ensure they have equitable access to this job pathway,” Robertson continued.
According to TechForce’s 2022 Technician Supply & Demand Report, demand for new technicians has nearly doubled since 2020 with data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showing five open jobs to every one new technician graduate. In 2015, Bridgestone and the TechForce Foundation began a relationship to develop solutions to strengthen the pipeline of automotive technicians into the workforce and bring awareness to career opportunities within the industry. Since then, Bridgestone has donated more than $450,000 to the TechForce Foundation to help meet the growing skilled labor shortage and provide more opportunities for career advancement in the automotive industry.
Bridgestone leadership also serve on the TechForce Foundation Board of Directors and National Leadership Cabinet.
“TechForce Foundation is uniting the industry across sectors to connect students with high-tech, hands- on careers,” says Jennifer Maher, CEO, TechForce Foundation. “Today’s technicians are highly skilled STEM professionals. As this truth makes its way into the public consciousness, we are working harder than ever to reach receptive audiences with the life-long opportunities that come with a technician career. TechForce is excited to expand our long-time relationship with the Bridgestone family of companies to inspire, support and connect the next generation of professional technicians at this critical moment.”
TechForce Foundation was established in 2007 and is a nonprofit organization committed to the career exploration and workforce development of professional technicians across all sectors. In that time, the TechForce Foundation has awarded $18 million in scholarships and grants to more than 50,000 students.
To learn more about Bridgestone, visit BridgestoneAmericas.com. To learn more about The TechForce Foundation, visit Techforce.org.