In a recent letter, Ford and AAA announced that the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition officially ended with the 2015 event. Below is the letter announcing that Ford and AAA will no longer be sponsoring the event.
Please be advised the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition officially ended with the 2015 event.
Although AAA and Ford have long been associated with the program, we were not its originators. The Auto Skills program began many years ago by other organizations that also made great contributions to the legacy of this important program.
AAA has proudly sponsored the Student Auto Skills competition for the past three decades, while Ford has sponsored for the past two decades. Both Ford and AAA value the relationships formed with the schools and the other sponsors, who have been instrumental in developing talented young technicians for the automobile industry by helping strengthen the link between education and quality car care.
After careful consideration, AAA has decided to discontinue its national sponsorship of the Student Auto Skills competition. AAA remains committed to meeting the changing needs of motorists and will continue to focus resources towards improving its services for the 56 million members while keeping the motoring public safe and informed of changing vehicle technology.
Ford is committed to supporting young men and women interested in careers as automotive service technicians. Ford pursued several options to continue this program, but was unable to find another appropriate partner. Ford is exploring other ways to support training efforts in high schools with automotive programs.
At AAA and Ford, we still believe in the importance of trained technicians in an ever changing and increasing digital industry. We look forward to exploring new ways to develop this important skill set.
Sincerely,
John Nielsen (AAA)
Managing Director,
Automotive Engineering & Repair
Steve DeAngelis (Ford)
Manager, Technical Support Operations
Ford Customer Service Division
