Helping Tomorrow’s Industrial Trades Leaders Today: Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® Scholarship Program

Today’s Skilled Labor Shortage

As a leading distributor of facilities maintenance products, Grainger is committed to developing future leaders within the industrial trades. Many sectors are in critical need of trained workers with an understanding of modern tools, technologies and processes.

According to a National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) report, 80 percent of manufacturers are struggling to serve customers because they don’t have enough qualified workers. Many graduates do not have the math, science and technical skills required to work in today’s manufacturing environment. In August 2007, a poll showed that manufacturing executives rate the worker shortage as a bigger issue than oil prices or the economy.

Many skilled trade positions are increasingly technology driven. Moreover, after one to two years of specialized training, entry-level positions can be quite lucrative and are readily available. The federal Labor Department estimates that more than 400,000 mechanics jobs will become available nationwide between 2004 and 2014, with entry-level positions paying at least $17 an hour. According to the Department of Labor, eight out of ten apprentices will out-earn their counterparts who have earned a bachelor of arts degree.

What is the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® scholarship program?

Since 2006, the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® scholarship program has helped technical education students across the country realize their educational goals and prepare for the workforce. The scholarship recognizes outstanding students with a $2,000 scholarship for their second year of schooling. Students earning their associates degree or certificate in an industrial trade use this financial assistance for tuition and books at select community colleges across the country. Once these students successfully complete their technical education program they also receive a customized Westward® toolkit.

 Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® Scholarships: 2009-2010 Academic Year

Grainger is reinforcing its commitment to technical education by more than doubling its Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® scholarship program for the 2009-2010 academic year.  Grainger offers 100 scholarships to students enrolled in select community colleges across the country. This year’s scholarship winners will be notified by their schools and Grainger early Summer 2009 and announced publicly later this year.  Contact a participating community college for more information.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Community Colleges award the scholarships. These participating schools meet initial criteria and are members of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).  Student applicants must be United States citizens entering their second-year at a technical school, in which they are studying electronic systems, heating/air conditioning, plumbing, pneumatics, welding, automotive, construction, facilities maintenance or other industrial trade. Students must be enrolled both fall and spring semesters and graduate from the same school at which they applied.

See if your local community college is part of the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow® scholarship program.

For more information about the program, contact Grainger.

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Schools Participating in Grainger’s Tools for Tomorrow® Scholarship Program:                                               2009 – 2010 Academic Year

Athens Technical College; Athens, GA 

Atlanta Technical College; Atlanta, GA

Black River Technical College; Pocahontas, AR

Blackhawk Technical College; Janesville, WI

Casper College; Casper, WY

Central Virginia Community College; Lynchburg, VA

Cincinnati State & Technical Community College; Cincinnati, OH

College of Lake County; Grayslake, IL

College of Southern Nevada; Las Vegas, NV

Community College of Allegheny County; Pittsburgh, PA  

Community College of Baltimore County; Baltimore, MD

Community College of Rhode Island; Warwick, RI

Delaware Technical Community College; Dover, DE

Elgin Community College; Elgin, IL

Fletcher Technical Community College; Houma, LA       

Florida Community College; Jacksonville, FL

Gateway Community College; New Haven, CT

GateWay Community College; Phoenix, AZ

Henry Ford Community College; Dearborn, MI

Honolulu Community College; Honolulu, HI             

Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana; Indianapolis, IN  

Jefferson Community and Technical College; Louisville, KY

Johnson County Community College; Overland Park, KS

Joliet Junior College; Joliet, IL

Kirkwood Community College; Cedar Rapids, IA

LA Trade Technical College; Los Angeles, CA

Larry Selland College of Applied Technology; Boise, ID

Manchester Community College; Manchester, NH

Marshall Community and Technical College; Huntington, WV

Metropolitan Community College; Kansas City, MO

Miami Dade College; Miami, FL

Milwaukee Area Technical College; Milwaukee, WI

Minneapolis Community and Technical College; Twin Cities, MN

North Lake College; Irving, TX                     

Portland Community College; Portland, OR

Queensborough Community College; Bayside, NY            

Red Rocks Community College; Lakewood, CO           

Saddleback College; Mission Viejo, CA                     

Salt Lake Community College; Salt Lake City, UT

San Jose City College; San Jose, CA                  

San Juan College; Farmington, NM

South Seattle Community College; Seattle, WA

South Texas College; McAllen, TX

Southeast Community College; Lincoln, NE

Southern Maine Community College; South Portland, ME

Springfield Technical Community College; Springfield, MA

St. Louis Community College; St. Louis, MO

St. Paul College; St. Paul, MN

U of Alaska Fairbanks-Tanana; Fairbanks, AK

Valencia Community College; Orlando, FL