Bridgestone has 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.
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, Bridgestone said. 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 executives also serve on the TechForce Foundation board of directors and national leadership cabinet.
