Parsippany, NJ, Aug. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ: LINC), marking 75 years in 2021 as a national leader in specialized technical training, announced that two students from its Melrose Park, IL campus have been selected to receive the Pep Boys Find Your Drive scholarship award. Students Derek Deddo and Erick Poole each received a $5,000 scholarship to continue their pursuit of Automotive Technology career training. Pep Boys, which was founded in 1921, is distributing $100,000 in scholarships in celebration of the company’s 100th year in business.
“Lincoln Tech thanks Pep Boys for their ongoing support of our students,” says Scott Shaw, Lincoln Tech’s President and CEO. “Many of our graduates across the country have gone on to launch careers with Pep Boys. We’re proud of our students’ accomplishments, and that we have been able to also assist Pep Boys in growing their own workforce of Auto Technicians.”
"For 100 years, Pep Boys has supported the technicians who keep America moving and we’re excited to celebrate the students who are truly excelling in the field," Pep Boys CEO Brian Kaner said in a statement. "Pep Boys offers automotive technology students the unique opportunity to work part-time while pursuing their education, and the company will also sponsor students to earn ASE certifications while they work.”
The annual scholarship program is part of Pep Boys’ “Race to 2026” initiative that aims to increase the number of trained technicians and help fill an industry-wide talent gap. Scholarships were awarded based on academic performance, attendance, character and commitment to the automotive industry. Students were also required to submit an essay or video testimonial along with letters of recommendation from instructors and other individuals.
“It’s exciting for us to have two of our students recognized by one of the world’s leading Automotive employers,” says Karen Clark, President of Lincoln Tech’s Melrose Park campus. “We know the effort both of these young men have committed to building skills for Automotive industry careers, and all of us at the Melrose Park campus are looking forward to helping them begin those careers.”
For Derek Deddo, the scholarship will allow him to continue working toward an Associate Degree in Automotive Service Management – a field he originally entered with a very practical purpose.
“I enrolled for Auto career training with no expectations,” he says. “I wanted to be able to work on my own cars instead of always taking them to a shop. Now I’ve got an apprenticeship with Pep Boys, I’m working toward starting my career as a service technician, and Pep Boys will even help me gain my ASE certifications after I complete my education.”
“This scholarship came along at a point when I wasn’t sure I could continue my training,” he adds. “I had been in an accident and lost my car, so I had no way of getting to campus other than mass transit. Lincoln Tech helped by setting up my schedule so that I can complete my general education courses online while I’m saving to purchase a new car. And the Pep Boys scholarship makes me feel like I’ve got a second chance to do this.”
Deddo says he looks to his four children as inspiration and motivation to continue his training – which is now partly paid for through the scholarship he earned. “I want to show them they can do anything they put their minds to,” he says. “I want them to see that hard work pays off!”
With 740,000 openings projected for Automotive Technicians across the country by 2028 – including more than 29,000 in Illinois alone* – the industry offers a wide range of opportunities for graduates with specific hands-on technical skills. Lincoln Tech’s Melrose Park campus has helped students build those skills through expert training since 1902, when it was originally founded as Greer College of Automotive Engineering.
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*This data was compiled from the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the years 2018-2028, www.careeronestop.org, captured on January 31, 2021. .
About Lincoln Educational Services Corporation
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is a leading provider of diversified career-oriented post-secondary education. Lincoln offers recent high school graduates and working adults career-oriented programs in five principal areas of study: automotive technology, health sciences, skilled trades, business and information technology, and hospitality services. Lincoln has provided the workforce with skilled technicians since its inception in 1946.
Lincoln currently operates 22 campuses in 14 states under four brands: Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln College of Technology and Euphoria Institute of Beauty Arts and Sciences. Lincoln also operates Lincoln Culinary Institutes in both Maryland and Connecticut.
For more information, go to lincolntech.edu.
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