The 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division, along with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), are again offering the popular 3M Hire Our Heroes scholarship and tool grant awards program for 2019 to help military members and their families pursue careers in the collision repair industry.
This is the seventh year that 3M has partnered with the Collision Repair Education Foundation in support of the collision repair industry and America’s veterans. Since 2013, the 3M Hire Our Heroes program has generated more than $1.2M to be used toward scholarships and tool grants for military veterans and their family members. More than 330 military veterans and their families have received scholarships and grants.
A scholarship application form is available online from the Foundation.
“Supporting both our industry and our military veterans remains a high priority for us,” said Dale Ross, U.S. Marketing Operations Manager for 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “This is our way of showing our gratitude for their service, while helping our industry by preparing what will be great future employees.”
This year, each winning veteran student will have the opportunity to select $1,500 worth of tools as part of the award. Students graduating this year will have the opportunity to select an additional $3,000 in tools when they graduate and get hired into the collision industry. There also are additional $2,000 scholarships for select veterans.
One of the 2018 3M Hire Our Heroes winners, Rebekka Rollison served in the U.S. Navy and attended Wilkes Community College, in Wilkesboro, N.C. The help and support the provided grant made a tremendous difference in her ability to be ready to start work in the collision industry.
“Now that I actually have a job in the collision industry, being equipped for the task can set you above others competing for jobs,” Rollison said. “Having the appropriate tools when you start out helped improve my production time, which is huge, and achieve the best professional outcome.”
3M Automotive Aftermarket Division, along with the Collision Repair Education Foundation, put its effort to provide collision repair education opportunities for military members into high gear this year, hosting the 3M Hire Our Heroes 500 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This 2018 program added another $150,000 to the 3M Hire Our Heroes program. All donations for the 3M Hire Our Heroes 500 went to the 3M Hire Our Heroes scholarship fund.