Category: Automotive
Vehicles for Change is one of two Blazer Winners, an overall award given to companies that have gone above and beyond in their journey to grow and make an impact.
Vehicles for Change is using one of the trendiest technologies in recent memory to spearhead a national expansion.
The Halethorpe nonprofit is growing through its innovative use of virtual reality or VR to train people in the basics of car repair so they can prepare for a lucrative job as an auto mechanic. Vehicles for Change has operated since 1999 but is on its way to becoming a national brand after a boost of interest after the pandemic, said Martin Schwartz, the nonprofit's founder.
“Everybody is desperate for auto mechanics,” Schwartz said.
Vehicles for Change opened an office in San Diego last year and has used VR to attract new clients in Virginia, Texas and Delaware. Schwartz pushed to adopt VR as a way to keep up with skyrocketing demand after the Covid-19 pandemic. It's cheaper and easier to offer classes through VR than in-person classes. An average brick-and-mortar garage location costs $750,000 to $1 million to open, Schwartz said.
With VR, the nonprofit can expand at a fraction of that cost by working with partners like community colleges and prisons that want to host classes for prospective car mechanics. The firm also partnered with NAPA Auto Parts and other auto firms to consider graduates from Vehicles for Change.
The virtual program has students go through each step of completing a task, like an oil change or fixing a tire. Schwartz also believes that VR training is more immersive with fewer distractions than traditional in-person classes.
The majority of students at Vehicles for Change are people who have previously been incarcerated, Schwartz said. The firm has used the VR training to help people in the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women and people involved in the juvenile justice system earlier this year.
Schwartz believes quality employment is the key to getting people to leave a life of crime. It’s often difficult for felons to get jobs after prison, but Vehicles for Change can ensure they are qualified in an industry that needs workers.
"Not just employment like a job at McDonald's or Burger King, but a job that pays a living wage and leads to a quality career," he said.
