The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

American Garage in Chinook is well known for their professional automotive repairs as well as their community support over the years. Their commitment to area youth is absolutely no different. Owners, Scott and Heather DePriest, believe in the value of serving their communities and they are proud to once again offer two $500 Scholarships to Blaine County students who are going into an Automotive Trade.

American Garage opened in 2006 and right away, they knew they wanted to give back to their communities. Several years later, they started a “Bike Giveaway” Program at the Chinook Elementary School to encourage area youth to excel through promoting good grades and attendance. Since starting the program, the business gave away over $8000 in bikes to area youth. In 2020, Covid caused a disrupt in that program and at that time, they decided to shift their focus and reward students that were entering into the Automotive Field after High School, something they feel very passionate about promoting. As part of that commitment, they became involved in various organizations to promote the trades and they strongly support training programs that encourage the development of Automotive Technicians in the Industry, something that has seen a decline in College Students entering the field. According to Fox News, there’s only about half the number of automotive mechanics needed coming out of technical colleges and training programs every year. Across the nation, Auto Repair Facilities are struggling to find trained mechanics. Seasoned Technicians are retiring at an increased rate, posing a challenge for shops trying to fill vacant positions. According to the National Automobile Dealer Association, around 76,000 auto mechanic positions open up every year, compared to only 39,000 students coming out of technical colleges or training programs. These are just a few reasons that American Garage believes in promoting the Automotive Fields as a whole.

If you know of anyone looking to enter the Automotive Field, encourage them to apply. Scholarship Applications are open to any 2024 Graduating Senior in Blaine County (Chinook, Turner, Harlem and Hays) that is looking to enter into the Automotive Field. Some of the fields that qualify are: Automotive Technology, Automotive Mechanics, Diesel Mechanics, Automotive Engineering, Alternative Energy for Automotive, Automotive Mechanical Design and Collision/Auto Body.

The deadline to submit applications is May 1st and it is an easy, two-page app that can be accessed on their website here: https://americangarage.com/scholarships/

Any graduating senior from Blaine County, that will be entering college in a career related to Automotive, are encouraged to apply.