LCCC Automotive Technology program receives vehicle donation
GODFREY – Students in the Lewis and Clark Community College Automotive Technology program have been given another resource to advance their education with the donation of a 2015 Ford Focus.
In cooperation with Roberts Motors of Alton, Marcus Hicks, a regional technical talent placement specialist with the Ford Motor Company, worked to secure the car donation to help LCCC provide additional educational opportunities.
“Ford Motor Company recognizes there’s a real shortage of technicians and we wanted to start helping our dealerships,” Hicks said. “This is just a way to support our dealerships as they help support programs like this at Lewis and Clark.”
According to Roberts Motors Vice President and General Manager John Roberts, the dealership was able to facilitate the vehicle donation through the Ford Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program.
“Lewis and Clark has always been good in the skill trade fields,” Roberts said. “This allows us to benefit by seeing kids come into the automotive field, get some Ford certifications and, hopefully, come work for us.”
LCCC Automotive Technology Program Coordinator Chris Reynolds credits the role Roberts Motors and ACE have in played in providing students with access to entry-level Ford service technician certifications, noting that LCCC students consistently rank high on completion and participation rates with the program.
“Roberts Motors has sponsored our access to service information and diagnostic software, hosted multiple student interns, participated in program recruiting events and gifted this vehicle today,” Reynolds said. “We are grateful for the Roberts family and Ford Motor Co. for their commitment to our program.”
The Automotive Technology program at LCCC has received accreditation by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, a nonprofit, independent organization that evaluates and accredits entry-level technician training programs against standards developed by the automotive industry.
For more information on LCCC’s Automotive Technology program, visit https://www.lc.edu/program/autotech/ or call (618) 468-4915.
TOP: In the front row are, from left to right, Ford Regional Technical Talent Placement Specialist Marcus Hicks, Ford St. Louis Region Field Service Engineer Cale Garrett, Roberts Motors Vice President and General Manager John Roberts and LCCC Interim President Lori Artis. In the back row are, from left to right, Roberts Motors President Samuel Roberts, L&C Instructor Benjamin Cook, LCCC Automotive Technology Program Coordinator Chris Reynolds, LCCC Instructor Clayton Renth and LCCC Assistant Interim President Brett Reinert.
BELOW: LCCC Automotive Technology Program Coordinator Chris Reynolds receives the keys to the donated 2015 Ford Focus from Roberts Motors Vice President and General Manager John Roberts. Photos by Jan Dona, LCCC Media Services.
