November 14, 2022 , Detroit – Stellantis North America today received its second Benchmark Award from Rainbow PUSH Coalition for its commitment to supporting a workforce training program at Wayne County Community College District.
The award, presented by Reverend Jesse Jackson and Chairman John A. Graves to Stellantis North America COO Mark Stewart during the 2022 Rainbow PUSH Global Automotive Summit, recognizes the company’s leadership in establishing the innovative Mechatronics program at the college.
The Mechatronics program includes more than $10 million in donated robotics equipment from Stellantis, Comau and other Tier 1 suppliers to create training for job opportunities in the automotive industry. An additional $10 million will be invested by the college for infrastructure and staffing to support the program, which is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2023.
“On behalf of the dedicated Stellantis team, I’m deeply humbled and honored to accept our company’s second Benchmark Award, in recognition of the innovative Mechatronics program at Wayne County Community College,” Stewart said. “This exciting program is an excellent example of how companies like Stellantis, and outstanding educational institutions like Wayne County Community College, can be very intentional about bringing business acumen and resources to bear to create tangible and sustainable economic benefits for diverse communities.”
Rainbow PUSH established the Benchmark Award in 2017 to recognize organizations, businesses and individuals who create opportunities “through innovative methodologies and unsolicited management strategies,” according to the organization.
“The importance of the automotive industry being involved with and connected to the communities it serves through educational programs like this cannot be overstated,” Graves said. “At the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, we continuously encourage automakers to support workforce development programs that reflect the communities where they sell their products.”
The company also earned the Benchmark Award in 2019 in recognition for its successful MatchMaker program, which has generated more than $4 billion in new business opportunities for minority-owned businesses since its inception in 1999.
The 2022 Rainbow PUSH Global Automotive Summit, which took place November 14-15 in Detroit, was the organization’s 23rd annual automotive summit.
SOURCE: Stellantis North America
