The Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance has named TechForce Foundation as the charity beneficiary of its Opening Night Gala on Friday, October 25, 2019, at the Keep Memories Alive event venue in downtown Las Vegas. This extravaganza will welcome hundreds of car enthusiasts and those who value and support technical education. The Gala will be part of four days of events promising a one-of-kind blend of elegance featuring vehicles from the most significant collections in the world.
TechForce is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) with the mission of championing students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. “We have a significant shortage of tech trained workforce in the the automotive industry. Young adults have been encouraged for decades that the road to success is through a four-year college. Today more than ever opportunities for secure, well paying careers in the automotive industry come through tech training.,” shares Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “These are no longer blue-collar, but new-collar careers with a great paycheck. These jobs can’t be outsourced or shipped overseas, and are in high-demand. People talk about jobs, jobs, jobs: this is where good paying jobs are now and into the future.”
"Have you looked under a hood recently?" adds Stuart Sobek, founder and chairman of the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance. "There are more than 70 computers and 100 million lines of code in these magic machines. Our economy, businesses, and personal lives depend on vehicles—and it's time we show our respect for techs." As a result, Sobek named TechForce the charity beneficiary, with the net proceeds raised through auctions, donations, Gala ticket sales, and raffles to benefit TechForce Foundation.
TechForce will use funds raised through the Las Vegas Concours d ‘Elegance to support:
- High School Auto Shop Makeovers, starting with the auto lab at Southeast Career Technical Academy (SECTA), Nevada’s oldest career and technical education (CTE) high school;
- Scholarships for students to pursue their post-secondary technical training; and
- FutureTech Success campaign to reframe the stigmas that plague the profession, champion the skilled trades, excite Millennials about the past, present and, future of automobiles, and promote that technical education is a solid, reliable option for students.
Long-time supporters of the TechForce mission, Shell, Pennzoil and Universal Technical Institute, are the Gala’s sponsors.
To learn more about the TechForce Foundation and how it works, log on to MOJ Show and check out this very informative podcast between Las Vegas’s own Monica O. Jackson and the CEO of TechForce, Jennifer Maher. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll ABSOLUTELY be well informed.
