The Gene Haas Foundation has provided a $200,000 grant to the SME Education Foundation to help qualified students interested in machine operation and maintenance coursework take advantage of their Gene Haas Foundation Machining Technology Scholarship.
High school seniors, graduates or GED recipients will be eligible for the one-year Gene Haas Foundation Machining Technology Scholarship, which will range from $1,000 to $5,000 for each awarded scholarship. Applicants may access the scholarship application by clicking here and submitting it to the SME Education Foundation for processing.
Peter Zierhut, director of public relations, Haas Automation, Inc., knows employers value the wide-ranging skills of machinists in manufacturing industries. Says Zierhut, “Manufacturers and job shops nationwide have struggled for years to find well-trained machinists, especially those with CNC skills. We believe it is the responsibility of businesses like Haas Automation to ensure that students have the funds to attend quality training programs. The scholarships provided by the Gene Haas Foundation help make that a reality. Our long-term goal is to help ensure a good supply of highly-skilled workers.”
The scholarships complement the work being done through the Haas Technical Education Center (HTEC). Its network leverages the technologies and capabilities of Haas Automation and partners with industry, schools and professional societies to ensure qualified learning institutes receive support and are able to provide the highest quality manufacturing education possible. As of June 2008, the HTEC network included 724 schools, colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
The SME Education Foundation will draw from a national network of students participating in its Gateway Academy pre-engineering programs offered at more than 3,000 middle and high schools. Its curriculum is the result of a partnership with Project Lead The Way®, a nonprofit organization that offers math, engineering, science and technology curriculum in middle and high school.
Says Bart Aslin, director of the SME Education Foundation, “The generous support of the Gene Haas Foundation allows the SME Education Foundation to offer Gene Haas Machining Technology Scholarships to talented students with the ultimate goal of preparing them for what we all know will be a restructured workforce.”
For more information about the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), visit www.smeef.org and its award-winning Web site for young people, www.manufacturingiscool.com.
