NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Steve Johnson recently awarded his first Be a Technician scholarship to Lawson State Community College student Ledge Putman. Lawson State is the only community college in Alabama that offers specific manufacturing training with Ford, General Motors, and Toyota.

Johnson has worked with students enrolled in the Alabama Center for Automotive Excellence program. Students spend eight weeks in the classroom, then eight weeks working at a dealership. The scholarship awarded Putman $4,000 to help cover the cost of tools so he can better continue his technician career path.

Alan Halbert, the Ford ASSET Coordinator at Lawson State, noted, “When they get finished, they are fully certified technicians, and the dealerships are going to keep them, so we are filling that lack of workforce.”