Mississauga, Ontario — If you are an independent, a multi-shop owner or a member of a repair network, securing young talent for the future of our industry is of your concern. This is an industry-wide issue.
That is why Assured Automotive is taking a grassroots approach to the issue, creating scholarships to support truly passionate students in their journey to becoming licensed body technicians.
Assured has approached two Ontario colleges that previously approved programs for individuals in the trade to pursue education.
Centennial College in Scarborough, and Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, have both agreed to partner with Assured Automotive to annual recognize a graduating student with a job offer, a $1,000 bursary and a plaque of recognition to remain on college grounds.
The Jerome D’Silva Memorial Award and the Tony Raposo Award were created to celebrate one graduate from each school annually. Generally, such recognitions are based strictly on grades; however, the caveat with Assured’s sponsored awards is the element of community and values associated with the recipient.
Along with meeting minimum academic standings, recipients of the Jerome D’Silva Memorial Award and Tony Raposo award must possess honesty, integrity and respect.
Now heading into the fourth year of this program, the response to this initiative has been positive, particularly after the last year.
With many students relying on part-time work to pay for schooling, the pandemic introduced many challenges for students struggling to meet tuition and other life-related costs. Assured is hoping to expand the program in years to come, allowing more students the same opportunities offered through these two awards.
