Gates Foundation Cites WANADA/ADEI Technician Training Program for Helping Young Americans Gain Employment, Careers
A new report from the Workforce Strategy Center (WSC) funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation titled, Employers, Low-Income Adults and Postsecondary Credentials, highlights programs in 14 communities that are successfully addressing the challenge of providing younger and disadvantaged workers with the technical and postsecondary education that may qualify them for skilled positions.
In the Washington Area, the report cites the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA) Automobile Dealer Education Institute (ADEI) Technician Training Program as a prime example of how to successfully structure such programs. ADEI offers students postsecondary training plus a 40-hour per week full-time entry-level job with an employer at a local auto dealership. Students are also required to take one hour per week of manufacturer-specific training online and to pass the tests tied to that subject matter.
One major reason the efforts highlighted in this report have been successful is that they are demand-driven in nature, with local employers working directly with community colleges, trade schools and other post-secondary institutions to help disadvantaged young people gain skills that are in demand by employers, says Julian L. Alssid, executive director of WSC. In July, the unemployment rate for young workers between the ages of 16 and 24 rose to more than 18 percent, the highest level since World War II. The rate was even higher for African-Americans and Hispanics, underscoring why these kinds of initiatives are so important now.
WANADA and ADEI leadership are gratified by the unexpected recognition from the Gates Foundation. This program was conceived as a collaborative effort between our dealers and Montgomery College, designed to provide an affordable pathway for promising, post high school students to enter the automotive repair field while at the same time providing dealers with a reliable source of technical talent in service department, said Vince Sheehy, chairman of ADEI. We are very pleased with the 200 or so students who have successfully completed their training over the years and are especially appreciative that better than 70% remain employed with our dealer members, he said.
The 14 sites highlighted in this report were selected from more than 100 candidate sites that were submitted for consideration. Model sites had to meet the following criteria:
– Getting low-income youth and young adults postsecondary credentials that will allow them to enter and advance in career track employment
– Working with employers in industry sectors important to the regions economy
– Maximizing employer roles and commitment
– Demonstrating portability, scalability, and replicability.
The Workforce Strategy Center is a national nonprofit organization that helps workers advance and businesses profit by making education and workforce development more responsive to the economy.
In the United States, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to ensure that all people”especially those with thin resources”have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
WANADA members looking to participate in the ADEI Technician Training Program should contact Bill Belew, program manager at (202) 237-7200 and can learn more about the particulars of the program at www.wanada.org/adei. Mr. Belew reports that there are a number of well qualified technician candidates in the queue, ready to go to work at WANADA dealerships.
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