AutoZone Inc. recently announced its AutoZone Future Technician Scholarship winners. The second-annual scholarship contest awarded a total of $10,000 to the three winners.
"The AutoZone Future Technician Scholarship was created to provide incentive to high school students seeking post-secondary educations, help build automotive career option awareness and infuse highly-qualified professionals into the workforce," says Bill Rhodes, CEO and president of AutoZone. "One of the most effective ways to achieve those goals is to support and cultivate educational opportunities for future automotive professionals.
"This scholarship gives us the opportunity to make a profound and positive impact on the future of the automotive industry."
Competitors in the Automotive Service Technology contest were given the chance to showcase their skills at 11 different test stations. Testing was based on tasks outlined by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF).
The medal winners of the SkillsUSA National Championship were:
* Gold -- John Washburn of Warwick Career Tech Center in Warwick, R.I.
* Silver -– Bradley Hettinger of Berks Career & Tech Center in Leesport, Pa.
* Bronze -- Eric Soucy of Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Kan.
"We need to revitalize technical education in this country and AutoZone is stepping up to the challenge,” says Eric Gearhart, SkillsUSA's director of business and industry partnerships.
