RPM FOUNDATION

RPM FOUNDATION Driving the Future

The RPM Foundation is driving the future of the restoration industry by safeguarding skills, supporting hands-on training programs and introducing the craft and function of collector vehicles to the next generation of professionals and enthusiasts. Some of our initiatives for 2021:

ENDANGERED SKILLS PROGRAM Each retirement or passing of a vehicle restoration and preservation specialist brings another skill vital to the interest and industry closer to extinction. In response, the RPM Foundation is launching the Endangered Skills Program. RPM will identify, evaluate and publicize a list of the skills required for the restoration and preservation of vehicles, ranking them as stable/at-risk/endangered/extinct. We will then work to connect existing masters of these skills to RPM Apprentices for training on the endangered skill(s). The process will be recorded and documented for safekeeping and distribution to our partners, so that students may continue to learn the endangered skill. In addition to the “health” ranking, skills will also be ranked according to their industry need in order to inform those considering a career in restoration and preservation. These rankings can be used to influence how skills are taught in post-secondary programs as well as within our own Apprenticeship and Internship Programs.

THE GREAT RACE X-CUP The RPM Foundation has joined forces with The Great Race, an endurance rally based on precision driving and navigational skills in classic, antique and vintage automobiles covering exciting routes like the historic Route 66. Their X-Cup student division is designed for high school, technical school, college or qualified youth group teams to compete in this special class of The Great Race. RPM will be working with the Great Race to administer the X-Cup Grants, Scott Henderson X-Cup Scholarship Awards and the new X-Cup Team Choice Award. For 2021, RPM will have its own X-Cup team, consisting of RPM Junior Ambassadors mentored by RPM Ambassador Herb Clark. We will also be recruiting additional X-Cup teams, including an all-female X-Cup team in 2022!

RPM FUTURES CLASS AT HILTON HEAD The RPM Futures Class will be held at the Hilton Head Island Concours for the first time this November and rolled out at Concours across the country! Designed to challenge the perception that younger generations don’t have the same passion for classic cars as those before, the RPM Futures Class is designated for individuals 30 years old or under or who are actively enrolled in a restoration program – and who have had a significant role in restoring or preserving their vehicle. Jason Wenig, owner of The Creative Workshop in Florida, worked with the RPM Foundation to establish the new class. “One of the biggest challenges I face is finding the talent needed to restore, service and repair our wonderful classic cars,” Wenig says. “For the past several years, I have been working closely with the RPM Foundation to help them ensure the skills needed to support our hobby not only remain, but grow. I’m proud to be a part of their initiatives and to support them.”

ASSISTANCE GRANTS As always, the RPM Foundation continues to support our educational and program partners with grant funding to provide scholarships, apprenticeships, internships, program and project assistance. RPM Grant Recipients for 2021 so far include McPherson College, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, Alfred State College and the Apprenticeshop, among others. RPM continues to work closely with the institutions that provide pathways to careers in restoration and preservation to gauge progress while they navigate ever-changing safety standards.