The Mohawk Valley’s premier Ford dealership has made a large donation to help support the education of area students.
Brown’s Ford, which operates vehicle dealerships and repair centers in Amsterdam and Johnstown, recently donated $10,000 to the HFM Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center to help support the organization’s automotive education programs.
The funds will be utilized for improvements in the programs and will help to purchase equipment, tools and other materials for the center’s Auto Body Repair and Automotive Technology programs.
“CTE is truly fortunate to have Brown’s Ford as a partner and advocate for students interested in the auto technology and auto body repair fields,” said HFM CTE Principal Michael DiMezza.
According to DiMezza, this isn’t the first time Brown’s Ford has helped advance Career and Technical Education in the area. Since 2022, the company has contributed funds totaling $40,000 and they are longtime members of two professional advisory committees that serve the HFM CTE automotive programs.
Each one of the 16 HFM CTE programs is supported by a committee of working professionals that advises instructors on workforce development needs and current practices being used in today’s workplaces. These advisory committees help ensure that a program’s curriculum is providing students with the skills needed to start a career.
“Technical schools and the trades are extremely important today,” owner Derek Brown said in a 2022 news article. “We appreciate all the work HFM does and we want to support it.”
At the HFM BOCES annual meeting in 2023, Brown’s Ford was recognized as the HFM CTE outstanding business partner of the year for their commitment to advance the futures of HFM CTE students.
“The support we have received from Brown’s Ford over the years has been instrumental in preparing our learners for future careers in the automotive industry,” stated DiMezza.
In addition to serving on the advisory committees, Brown’s employees also regularly visit classrooms and talk with students about their trade and career paths. The company also regularly provides internships and after school jobs for students and full-time employment for graduates.
