As part of its continued commitment to improving the communities where it operates and building a more diverse and inclusive workforce, Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) today announced it will increase support for students participating in the 2021-2022 Maplewood High School Automotive Training Center curriculum.
Bridgestone today held a ‘welcome back’ celebration for Maplewood automotive service students who returned to campus this week after a year of remote learning during the 2020-2021 school year. At the event, Bridgestone donated backpacks filled with safety glasses and other automotive service tools to the 90 Maplewood students who will study at the Automotive Training Center for the upcoming school year.
In addition, the company announced it will pay for Maplewood juniors and seniors to take the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification test, removing cost barriers and making the certification more accessible for all. ASE certification is widely respected by leading automotive service employers and can help increase earning potential for a future career in the automotive service industry.
“Our partnership with Maplewood began with the intention of supplying young people with the opportunity to work in the automotive industry, and it has quickly become one our biggest points of pride in our hometown of Nashville,” said Robert Johnson, vice president of stores, Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO). “We are proud to provide critical resources so Maplewood can continue educating the next generation of automotive industry professionals and we can fulfill our vision for a more diverse and inclusive automotive service industry.”
Kicking off the event was Sonya Brooks, Principal of Maplewood High School, and Kathy Floyd-Buggs, from Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s Office of Neighborhoods and Community Engagement. Bridgestone president and CEO Paolo Ferrari, along with Gabriel Asbun, group president of integrated businesses, and Robert Johnson, were also onsite to welcome the students. Ms. TJ Williams, the Automotive Training Center Instructor and part-time Bridgestone employee, gave the students a rousing pep talk, and words of encouragement for the year to come.
“This welcome back event highlights the great partnership between Bridgestone and Maplewood High School and a program that is the pinnacle of transforming secondary education,” said Brent Dean, academy coach, Maplewood High School. “It takes a village to help our students learn and grow, and they flourish even more knowing how much support they’re receiving from teachers, families and our business and community partners. We are so grateful to Bridgestone, Paolo and team, and we look forward to another outstanding six years of training the next generation of automotive service professionals.”
The Automotive Training Center at the Maplewood Academy of Entrepreneurship and Innovation was developed in 2015 by Bridgestone and Metro Nashville Public Schools in response to a nationwide shortage of automotive technicians. The four-year program utilizes an onsite, fully functioning Firestone Complete Auto Care tire and automotive service store and gives students an opportunity to interact with customers and practice the skills they’ve learned in the classroom. More than 110 students have graduated from the program, and dozens of students have accepted positions working at Nashville-area Firestone Complete Auto Care stores.
