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Workforce Initiative On The Havana Motor Mile

Havana Motor Mile Auto Tech Tool Incentive Program 2020

October 15th, 2020

2020 was a different year for our Havana Motor Mile Auto Technician Tool Incentive Program. Due to Covid-19 challenges and school classes closing early there was no graduation ceremony and no opportunity to give the 2020’s program’s tools and tool boxes by the BID. The professor Rolf Werner distributed the 2020 awardees’ tool boxes for the BID due to this year’s Covid-19 challenges.
We worked with Pickens Technical College Auto Tech Program to award the top 5% of their graduating students a tool chest with tools valued at $6,000. The Havana Business Improvement District’s Havana Motor Mile created this partnership and program to address the shortage of auto technicians along our district. We have over 20 auto dealerships and 100+ auto service shops that are in need of workforce every year.  This year we increased the program’s budget to allow for more students.
We sponsored $19,000 so that the Pickens Auto Tech instructors could purchase six customized auto tech tool packages and cabinets from Snap-On Tools for this tool incentive program.  The Pickens Auto Tech instructors work with the auto shop service managers, car dealerships, and independent repair shops along our Havana Motor Mile to match the top six 2020 graduating auto tech students from Pickens Auto Tech program with jobs in shops in the Havana Motor Mile.
Many of the six students awarded this year are already working at shops in the Havana Motor Mile. Now they can start their new careers with a Snap-On Tool Cabinet with a full set of automotive tools to use on the job.  These auto techs are required to have their own tools on the job, which is a huge cost burden for the students graduating from the auto tech program.

 

These tools and Snap-On cabinets are valued at $6000 for each student and and if the student remains employed at the shop along the Havana Motor Mile for 2 years, he/she is awarded the tool package. If he/she leaves employment before the 2 year mark, the tool package goes back to Pickens Auto Tech program and another student is awarded the tool package offered a job on the Havana Motor Mile. This program has been an incredible success thanks to our Havana BID board of director Gary Sliger. Gary is also the owner of Gary’s Full Service Auto Repair and on the board of Pickens Tech Auto Program. We are also so grateful to Rolf Werner at Pickens Tech Auto Tech Program for managing the partnership with the students and the workforce initiative on the Havana Motor Mile.

 

Rolf, an instructor at Pickens Auto Tech program shared that about 20-30 students from Pickens graduates and works on the Havana Motor Mile. This year the students shared that many of them will be working at Schomp Mazda, Schomp Subaru, Tynan’s Nissan and Shortline Buick/GMC. Rolf will also be working with Schomp Automotive along the Havana Motor Mile to hire about 45 students next year.

 

 2020 Awarded Students

Here are the names of the six 2020 graduates that were awarded the use of the Snap-On Tool cabinet and tools while they work on the Havana Motor Mile.

  1. Haven Del Valle – Schomp Subaru
  2. Carlos Martinez – Schomp Subaru
  3. Kade Gale – Schomp Mazda
  4. Fabian Leyva – Tynan’s Nissan
  5. Allan Banuelos – Shortline Buick/GMC
  6. Dylan Clabaugh – Shortline Buick/GMC

These students successfully completed the two-years to a Havana Motor Mile business and received the ownership keys to the tools and tool chest in August 2020.

  1. Rolando Delfine – Schomp Subaru
  2. Brandon Whiting – Stevinson Toyota East
  3. Ryan Woodworth-Smith – Stevinson Toyota East
  4. Brandon Walker – Gary’s Full Service
  5. Adrian Faudoa – Larry Miller Chrysler

2019 Awarded Students

  1. Amaya, Erik
  2. Borunda, Joel
  3. Guillen, Luis
  4. Cameron, Gary
  5. Mathew, Lopez
  6. Paz, Daniel
  7. In 2019, we also awarded Brandon Walker a toolbox from a student that left the program before the two-year mark.