Construction Equipment
North America
Chambersburg-based Franklin County Career and Technology Center is the beneficiary of proceeds from the auction of a special edition articulated hauler.
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is continuing its effort to help bridge the skills gap in America with a $10,000 donation to support students and programs at Franklin County Career and Technology Center (FCCTC), a vocational school in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Members from Volvo CE’s Shippensburg management team presented the check to FCCTC administration on April 26, during a handover ceremony in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
“We are really grateful for Volvo CE’s support, which will help us develop more programs and build a strong pipeline of skilled workforce for the industry,” said Jim Duffey, director of FCCTC. “Volvo CE is a long-time partner of the center and their insight also helps us to better understand what industry-leading companies are looking for in their future employees, so we could better prepare our students for the job market.”
Established in 1969, FCCTC prepares students for careers in 24 different trade areas and incorporates cutting-edge knowledge about automation and mechanization into its education programs. To meet the demand for versatile workers with broad range of skills, the center also offers opportunities for students to study multiple related courses instead of focusing on only one field.
FCCTC will use the $10,000 donation to support programs that range from construction, manufacturing and transportation, covering areas of engineering, automotive technology and diesel mechanics.
The donation to FCCTC is part of Volvo CE’s overall commitment to support career and technical education. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Volvo articulated hauler, a gold-painted Volvo CE A40G travelled across the U.S. and Canada throughout 2016 to raise awareness of the current skills gap and connect technical professionals with students from local technical schools. In February, Volvo CE auctioned off the A40G and will split the proceeds between FCCTC and two skills development organizations, SkillsUSA and Skills Compétences Canada.
“Many students told us that they didn’t realized how technically advanced off-road equipment is until they saw Volvo CE machines and talked to experienced professionals during the events,” said Chris Stone, director of production at Volvo CE. “We’re glad our partnership with organizations like FCCTC is opening doors for young adults to explore the wide variety of career opportunities in the construction and manufacturing industry.”
An estimated 600,000 manufacturing jobs went unfilled in the United States in 2011 and the number could grow over two million in ten years, according to a report released by the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte. The Associated Equipment Distributors estimates that the shortage of technically skilled workers could cost the U.S. economy up to $180 billion.
“As an industry-leader, it’s important for us to be at the forefront of helping to develop skilled workers that understand the challenges of the current and future manufacturing industries,” said Francois Guetat, general manager and vice president of operations, Volvo CE. “The donation is Volvo CE’s commitment to encouraging people to pursue skilled professions in the manufacturing industry. We hope our support will not only provide young students with the educational resources they need, but help raise awareness of the severe skills gap we’re facing.”
Contact Us:
Dave Foster
Vice President
Marketing and Corporate Communications
Sales Region Americas
Volvo Construction Equipment
Tel:717 530 6169
Email: dave.foster@volvo.com
Chi-an Chang
SE10
Americas
Tel:312 401 2404
Email: chi-an.chang@se10.com