Concord, NH – In response to the growing need for skilled workers in New Hampshire’s automotive industry, the New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association (NHADA) has provided an unprecedented amount of scholarship aid to send students and auto workers to community colleges in New Hampshire for enhanced training and certification. NHADA has recently completed issuing more then $100-thousand dollars in scholarship funds to 58 students in our state. Those dollars will be used to help pay for enrollment in automotive technology programs at five community colleges in the state.
The students will take classes at New Hampshire Technical Institute, Manchester Community College, White Mountain Community College, Lakes Region Community College and Nashua Community College. Programs range from basic auto repair to vehicle diagnostics to full repair of late model cars and brand-new models. The program works in partnership with local dealerships and with auto manufacturers so that students are working on the exact types of cars they would most likely see in their workplace in the future.
“Our scholarships have made a tremendous difference in our workforce development over the last two years with results that our members have felt,”
says Jessica Dade, Executive Director of the NHADA Education Foundation.
“Our industry has a significant workforce shortage and this is a meaningful way to make an immediate impact on the needs of both our members and on working families around the state.”
Available jobs include certified technician, parts manager, service manager, import technician and performance tuner. According to recent statistics, entry level jobs can pay more than $30-thousand dollars a year and well-trained experts in automotive technology can make more than $100-thousand dollars in annual salary.
“The jobs are available statewide and our association wants to ensure our member dealerships are equipped with the right people and the right technology to best serve the driving public; this is a number one priority,” explains Pete McNamara, President of the NHADA.
The Exeter Area New Car Dealers Association and the Three Rivers Foundation both made significant financial contributions to automotive technology workforce development and have partnered with the Foundation to provide funding for the scholarship program. The goal is to identify students most likely to work in industry and stay in industry. Both groups worked tireless through charity events and raffles to raise the funding necessary to provide these college scholarships.
The New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association (NHADA) is a statewide trade association, representing the interests of the motor vehicle retail industry. Membership consists of all of the new equipment, car, truck, motorcycle, snowmobiles, and on-road and off-road recreational vehicle dealers, as well as, independent dealers, motor vehicle service, auto body repair, and motor vehicle parts sales facilities.
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