At the start of the year, School Assist kicked off with a huge bang—launching partnerships with ASE, Volvo, Ford, and Audi to expand our reach and impact. School Assist makes it easier for shops and dealerships to connect with local schools and help grow the next generation of technicians. Schools post requests for what they need, and shops browse those requests and reach out to help.
Teaming up with big industry names has helped bring even more schools and shops onto the platform, making these connections easier and more impactful than ever. But the momentum didn’t stop there!
This spring semester, we saw a big jump in activity—more donations, more shop visits, stronger connections, new committee members, and tons of opportunities to get students excited about careers in automotive and diesel.
Here’s a look at just a few of the great collaborations happening through School Assist.
10 Examples of How Schools and Shops Are Preparing Students for Automotive and Diesel Careers
Cambridge, MN — Hayford Ford Pays a Classroom Visit to Cambridge-Isanti High School Students
Even without an official automotive program, Mary Sima, Work-Based Learning Coordinator at Cambridge-Isanti High School, still wanted to give her students a chance to learn about careers in the automotive industry. To help, she posted a request on School Assist looking for guest speakers to talk to their students.
While browsing School Assist, Kyle Soholt, Service Manager at Hayford Ford, came across the school’s request for guest speakers. A quick message later, and within a couple of weeks, Soholt and a fellow technician were speaking with eager 10th–12th grade students about careers and opportunities in the automotive industry.
Asheville, NC — A.C. Reynolds High School Scores Advisory Committee Members & Visit from Crossroads Ford
Instructor Caldwell from A.C. Reynolds High School turned to School Assist when he was looking for local employers to hire students and get involved with the program’s advisory committee. Kaleb Bathrick from Crossroads Ford of Waynesville saw the school’s request on the platform and sent a quick message to connect—and that’s all it took! In March, Crossroads got involved by visiting the class and attending the school’s advisory committee meeting, kicking off a new partnership.
Ashland, MA — Jack Madden Ford Joins MassBay Community College’s Advisory Board
Mike Amos, All-Brand Department Chair and Lead Professor at MassBay Community College, was looking to bring more industry involvement to their automotive technology program’s advisory board. He posted a request on School Assist, and Dylan Roche, Co-Director of Operations at Jack Madden Ford Sales Inc., saw the opportunity and reached out. Instructor Amos was excited to connect and invited Dylan to attend their spring advisory board meeting, which he did. It was the start of a new relationship with plenty of potential to grow.
Waterloo, IA — Cedar Falls High School Students Visit Dick Witham Ford
Adam Reilly, Industrial Technology Teacher at Cedar Falls High School, wanted to give his students a real-world look at the differences between a school shop and a working shop. He posted a request on School Assist, hoping to find a local dealership willing to help. The team at Dick Witham Ford saw the post and quickly reached out. They invited the students in for a dealership tour, giving them an inside look at the daily operations of a professional shop.
A fun connection that will make a lasting impression on the students and the dealership alike!
Columbus, WI — Atlas Auto Technicians Donated an Air Compressor to Columbus High School
As a WrenchWay Top Shop, Atlas Auto Technicians has access to School Assist. When they decided to replace a compressor in their shop, Mike Huggett saw an opportunity to give back. He reached out to John Shipley, Technology & Engineering Instructor at Columbus High School, through School Assist to see if the school could use the equipment in their program.
Instructor Shipley happily accepted the donation and was incredibly grateful for the added resource in his shop.
Plymouth Meeting, PA — Audi of Fort Washington Visits Central Montco Technical High School Students
As the Service Manager at Audi of Fort Washington with the Holman Automotive Group, Bill Holden plays a key role in managing technicians and working directly with customers. With his dynamic experience in the industry, he was happy to get involved when Instructor Hoult posted a request on School Assist looking to connect students with local shops and spark interest in automotive careers.
Bill responded to the request and visited the school to speak with students about career paths and opportunities in the automotive industry—helping open their eyes to what’s possible in this field.
Green Bay, WI — De Pere High School Student Visit Dorsch Ford
Hunter Lemerond, Marketing, HR, and Sales BDC Manager at Dorsch Ford, was interested in connecting with students at De Pere High School. She sent a quick message through School Assist offering shop tours to their students.
That one message sparked a great opportunity. Shortly after, over 30 high school students visited the dealership for a tour, getting an inside look at the day-to-day operations of a working shop. Instructor Abe Allen couldn’t have been more grateful and plans to make it a recurring trip.
“They gave a fantastic tour, breaking our 32 students into four groups, with four different rotations. We plan on going back in the future.”
Abe Allen, Ag & Tech Ed Teacher, De Pere High School
Pooler, GA — Effingham College & Career Academy Students Visit J.C. Lewis Ford Pooler
When Effingham College & Career Academy posted a request on School Assist for a shop tour, aiming to give students a real-world look at the automotive industry, J.C. Lewis Motor Co. was eager to help. After coordinating schedules and working out the details, a group of enthusiastic automotive students visited the dealership.
The tour covered various roles within the dealership, from a mobile service technician to the talent manager, providing students with a well-rounded, behind-the-scenes view of the industry.
The connection even made local headlines, with coverage featured on Grice Connect.
Greenacres, FL — Park Vista Community High School Receives Support from Ford Motor Company & ASE Through School Assist
Steven Moldoff, an instructor at Park Vista Community High School, signed up for School Assist and quickly discovered many ways they could help support the school’s automotive program.
The School Assist team took action, reaching out to their partners to get things moving. They connected the school with Ford, who shared details about their ASSET program with three interested students and arranged for local Ford leaders to visit and engage with the entire automotive program. The visit, along with the new partnership, even caught the attention of local media, with coverage from ABC 25 News in West Palm Beach.
It was a triple win for the program—thanks to the support of Ford, ASE, and WrenchWay, this automotive program is set up for even greater success.
Greenville, SC — Greenville Technical College Starts New Relationship with Audi Greenville & Gains New Advisory Member
At the start of the semester, like many schools using School Assist, Josh Simons, Academic Program Director and Instructor of Automotive Technology at Greenville Technical College, posted his program’s needs for local shops to see and support. A simple request for more advisory committee members turned into a big win for the program.
Audi Greenville, a shop the program had never worked with before, saw the post and responded by joining the committee. Instructor Simons was thrilled with the outcome, calling it a huge win for their program.
“A local service manager that I hadn’t been in contact with reached out to my request on School Assist to be a part of our advisory board committee. That was a huge win.”
Josh Simons, Academic Program Director, Instructor of Automotive Technology, Greenville Technical College
Join School Assist & Help Grow the Next Generation of Technicians
These are just a few of the many success stories happening on School Assist each semester. From guest speakers and shop tours to donations and advisory board connections, it’s clear that when shops and schools collaborate, everyone benefits—including the students and the entire industry.
If you’re a school looking for industry support or a shop wanting to help the next generation of technicians, School Assist is here to help. Post your needs, browse opportunities, and start making a positive impact in the auto and diesel industry today.
