MMT Productivity Is Helping To Grow The Pool For Skilled Manufacturing Employees Through The Gene Haas Foundation
Haas Foundation Scholars will be provided additional training on the CNC mill and through a multi-year process become ‘trainthe-trainers’ for the shop’s mill. The machine shop, located in the basement of Brown Hall, is home to two Haas CNC mills and two desktop mills.
MMT Productivity Inc. is pleased to announce to educational organizations scholarship monies and grants provided through the Gene Haas Foundation, established in 1999, by Haas Automation, Inc. Founder and CEO Gene Haas. Mark Smith, Vice President and General Manager of MMT Productivity, says, “Gene has long recognized that the future of manufacturing in the United States – and around the world – depends directly upon the availability of skilled workers. Expanding the pool of skilled workers hinges on recruiting more young people to pursue careers in manufacturing, and creating state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing training programs to ensure that graduating students have the skills necessary when they enter the workforce.” Recognizing a growing need for skilled manufacturing employees industry wide, the Gene Haas Foundation expanded its mission to include support for manufacturing training programs throughout North America and beyond. By providing scholarship grants, sponsoring individual and team CNC competitions, and partnering with the very best CNC training programs in the world, the Gene Haas Foundation helps expand the availability of high-quality manufacturing technology training worldwide. The Gene Haas Foundation donates millions of dollars every year to manufacturing education and the communities where Haas Automation Inc. facilities are located. In 2020, the Gene Haas Foundation provided more than $17 million in grants, bringing the total since inception to more than to $100 million. By providing scholarship grants, sponsoring individual and team CNC competitions, and partnering with the very best CNC training programs in the world, the Foundation helps expand the availability of high-quality manufacturing technology training worldwide.
Hear About Some Local Gene Haas Foundation Awards Colorado School Of Mines, Colorado Colorado School of Mines’ Mechanical Engineering Department has been awarded a $12,500 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation (GHF) for student scholarships in 2021 for student workers in the ME Instructional Machine Shop. Mines ME uses the GHF Haas grant to fund specialized multi-year fellowships for students who work in the Mechanical Engineering Machine Shop. The Gene 56 20
A2Z MANUFACTURING SW • • SeptSept/ / OctOct 20212021 A2Z Manufacturing Rocky Mountain •
Bridgerland Technical College, Utah Gene Haas Foundation dignitaries were welcomed to Bridgerland Technical College this past May to commemorate the donation of a $250,000 grant utilized in remodeling the Machining Technology department, classrooms, and laboratory. Wes Chambers, Department Head of the Machining Technology program, commented, “Thanks to the generous grant from the Gene Haas Foundation, we were able to update the lab to make it function more like the local machine shops, which really elevates the hands-on training the students get to enjoy in this program.” Vance Briggs, High School Instructor for the Machining Technology program, said, “What I’m most excited about has been the expansion of the classroom. We have increased our class space and the computers by 50%, which I am excited about. It will allow me to let in students in who may have previously been turned away because of lack of space.” During the event, the Gene Haas Foundation also donated an additional $30,000 in scholarship money to be utilized by students in the Machining Technology program. Frank Stewart, Chief Development Officer, said, “The impact and influence that Mr. Gene Haas has had for both high school and college students in technical education and machining specifically is exponential. Scholarships and equipment support give our students a big leg up in gaining their education and a rewarding career.”