Heavy Duty Equipment students Patrick Fritzinger and Jordan Kester received scholarship money to use for tools
Two Dakota County Technical College Heavy Construction Equipment students received scholarships through the mikeroweWORKS Foundation in partnership with the AED Foundation, an affiliate of Associated Equipment Distributors.
Patrick Fritzinger and Jordan Kester each received $1,000 to help them purchase tools.
“Patrick and Jordan both have an excellent work ethic and take their education seriously. They have great attitudes and will be outstanding technicians,” said instructor Roger Gartner.
The Heavy Construction Equipment program has participated in the mikeroweWORKS Foundation Tools Scholarship for a number of years. Gartner said each year two students with the highest grade point average in the program receive the scholarships.
Tools are a large expense for students in the program. In fact, students coming into the Heavy Construction Equipment program will spend roughly $5000 on tools. Students purchase additional tools as they work through the program.
“It can go a long way,” said Gartner of the scholarship money.
The scholarships are available to students enrolled in general or manufacturer diesel equipment technology programs that are AED Accredited. The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that rewards people with a passion to get trained for skilled jobs that actually exist. As CEO of the Foundation, Mike Rowe spends a significant amount of time speaking about the country’s dysfunctional relationship with work, highlighting the widening skills gap, and challenging the persistent belief that a four-year degree is automatically the best path for the most people.
Through its scholarship programs, the Foundation provides financial assistance to qualified individuals with a desire to learn a skill that is in demand. The Foundation has been instrumental in granting more than $3 million in education for trade schools across the country.
