Empire Auto Parts, a leading distributor of high-quality aftermarket collision parts for automotive repair shops, has announced the creation of the Empire Auto Parts Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund has been created as part of Empire’s celebration of Black History Month and will be administered by the TechForce Foundation.
Initially, each year the fund will award two scholarships to two students enrolled in a postsecondary school collision repair program in an underserved community within Empire’s geographic market.
For the last several years, the collision repair industry has been hit hard by a shortage of technicians, which ultimately affects all sectors of the industry, as well as those that rely on it. TechForce Foundation, along with other organizations, is committed to closing this resource gap by facilitating entry of the next generation of workers into an increasingly technology-driven collision repair workplace.
“Empire Auto Parts is proud to join with other market leaders to provide the resources necessary to enable talented students the opportunity to pursue their passion in this exciting and rapidly changing industry,” said Christopher Siebert, CEO of Empire Auto Parts. “We look forward to participating in the hard work necessary to find, develop and retain the people who will be the future leaders of the industry.”
The Empire Auto Parts Scholarship Fund will award two $2,000 scholarships. In total, TechForce Foundation will be awarding $4 million in scholarships in 2024.
The scholarships are part of a larger, multi-year financial commitment that Empire Auto Parts has made in support of TechForce Foundation’s mission to champion students to and through their education into technical careers, including developing the next wave of collision industry professionals. In addition to these two scholarships, Empire will also donate parts to be used in schools that participate in TechForce Foundation’s skill development programs.
To learn more about TechForce Foundation and apply for scholarship opportunities, click here.
