On Thursday, May 4th, Ford Motor Company in collaboration with Manchester Community College hosted its first Ford ACE automotive competition. We were honored to attend the event and award scholarships to the top three teams with funds donated to the Foundation by Chris Lane of McFarland Ford, from his 2022 Big Raffle grand prize of $25,000.
Ford Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) is a partnership program between Ford Motor Company, Ford/Lincoln dealerships, and secondary and post-secondary educational institutions. This program was created to raise awareness and increase interest in career opportunities within the automotive industry, ultimately as a service technician. ACE students earn Ford eLearning course credits that can be transferred into their ASSET student profile.
Eight High School Auto CTE Centers competed to identify and repair “bugged” vehicles. Ford dealers local to the schools provided vehicles and volunteers. The winners had a chance to receive tools, scholarships and more. This competition was a great way to promote the automotive trade, create excitement, and increase engagement with students that are interested in pursuing this as a career after high school.