Attendees from the Automotive Training Institute’s (ATI) SuperConference 2021 donated a total of $60,000 for the Santa Monica-based, mikeroweWORKS Foundation. This charitable organization helps to contribute millions of dollars in work ethic scholarships to qualified recipients pursuing a career in the skilled trades, including the automotive industry.
“No matter how quickly the world changes, the qualities of successful individuals are still the same,” said Mike Rowe, head of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. “The principles of hard work, determination, and respect for others are always in demand and a big part of our Work Ethic Scholarship Program. I’m grateful to ATI for their generous support of this program.” Rowe is also the creator and host of the well-known TV series Dirty Jobs.
ATI shares the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s mission to help close the skills gap by challenging the stigmas and stereotypes that discourage people from pursuing the millions of available positions in the trades.
“We interviewed dozens of charities based near our latest SuperConference venue,” said Richard Menneg, ATI president. “The mikeroweWORKS Foundation stood out the most because it addresses a growing problem afflicting our members and the industry– the tech labor shortage.”
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the industry employs 750,000 service technicians. To keep pace with retirement and new jobs in this sector, approximately 76,000 technicians will need to be replaced each year. America’s technical colleges and training programs graduate about 37,000 new technicians a year. This leaves an annual shortage of approximately 39,000 technicians. The mikeroweWORKS programs helps prepare young workers to fill this gap.
