Denso to Give $1 Million to College Workforce Training Programs

This week Denso North America Foundation (DNAF), the philanthropic arm of the global auto parts supplier, announced it will give more than $1 million for workforce training at 24 colleges and universities. Funds support advancing education in skilled trades, active safety and robotics programs, student vehicle teams, learning labs and more.

“The best learning experiences are when things don't work how you expected them to work, or how the textbook explained,” Doug Patton, president of DNAF and executive vice president of engineering at Denso International America, said in a press release. “That’s why we want students to get their hands on technology. They need to get their hands dirty and figure out how things work, how to fix, test, and develop technology, how to innovate and think creatively.”

Since 2001, DNAF has given to colleges and universities grants dedicated to advancing the auto industry. The Foundation provides students with technology, tools and experiences similar to that of the professional workplace they’ll experience after graduation.

Along with engineering programs, the foundation funds skilled trades and robotics programs “as these are becoming increasingly important in the automotive and technology industries,” Mike Brackett, member of the DNAF Board of Directors and senior vice president at Denso Manufacturing Tennessee, said in the press release. “Many students have an incorrect image of what manufacturing is today. It's very high-tech. Through hands-on programs, students can find out if they excel in these much needed areas. These may be the same people who loved to tinker with cars, or take things apart and put them back together; however, until they obtain hands-on experience with robotics or skilled trades, they probably don’t know how they can translate these passions into a career.”

The 2016 DNAF Grant Recipients:

Arkansas Northeasteran College

Arkansas State University

California State University - Long Beach

Cleveland State Community College

Conestoga College

Kellogg Community College

Kettering University

Lawrence Technological University

Michigan State University

Michigan Technological University

North Carolina State

Northwestern University

Oakland University

Ohio State University

Pellissippi State Technical College

Tennessee College of Applied Technology

Tennessee Tech University

Trine University

University of Detroit Mercy

University of Kentucky

University of Michigan - Dearborn

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Western Michigan University