Ford Philippines recently welcomed the pioneer batch of graduates of its automotive technician scholarship program conducted in partnership with the Don Bosco Makati Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Center.

Twenty three (23) underprivileged but deserving students successfully finished the 18-month automotive technician course after receiving full educational funding from Ford. The P 1.7 million scholarship program is under the auspices of Ford Motor Fund and Global Giving International Grant Program.

As part of the curriculum, the students rendered on-the-job training hours at various Ford dealerships in EDSA, Otis, Balintawak, and Commonwealth, giving them the much-needed exposure in performing actual technical work while getting mentorship from Ford dealership employees. Ford is working with AMCHAM Foundation to deploy the graduates for employment after the graduation.

Aside from skills training, the scholars also participated in various activities such as team building, leadership training, resume writing and job interview workshops, and CSR activities as volunteers.

“Education is a ticket to a better future, that’s why we’re very happy for the first batch of Ford scholars for successfully completing the automotive technician course. We look forward to seeing them progress and find jobs so that they can help their families and become the next generation’s pool of automotive leaders,” said Bertrand Lessard, managing director, Ford Philippines.

“We thank Ford for helping us advance our advocacy of giving the youth access to education and the chance to be successful in life. It was an amazing journey for our scholars and we can’t wait to see how they will apply their learnings once they start working,” said Fr. Jose Dindo Vitug, SDB, technical director, Don Bosco Manpower Skills Training Center. “

In 2016, Ford opened its first technical training facility at the Don Bosco Technical Institute – Makati as part of its commitment to educational development in the country. The P 2.5 million training facility boasts of a classroom for 50 students, rotary vehicle lifts, and cabinets filled with specialized tools to enable hands-on training and simulation exercises.