With the help of new funding, a local nonprofit is looking to help bring technology and education together in the automotive repair industry.
Announcing $3 million in seed funding from local philanthropy organization The Perot Foundation, newly created nonprofit On The Road Garage, is opening its first location in Irving.
On the Road Garage is part of the On The Road Companies family of businesses. On The Road was started in 2011, with the creation of the On The Road Sustainability Fund launched by local firm Champion Impact Capital, which is led by Michelle Corson, who also serves as the CEO of On The Road Garage. On The Road Companies also includes an affordable lending platform, as well as a low-cost auction vehicle dealership.
“When you choose to have your car repaired at On the Road Garage, you are supporting a social enterprise that is giving hard-to-employ individuals an opportunity for wealth-building in an essential business,” Corson said in a statement. “We’re proud to be opening the garage during this unprecedented pandemic to create jobs with high-earning potential when they’re needed most. We’re building the workforce of the future in smart car technology through our apprenticeships and online education.”
Like all of the On The Road Companies, On The Road Garage has a social impact focus. With former Service King Collision Repair CEO Cathy Bonner serving as the organizations chief strategy officer, On The Road Garage offers year-long apprenticeships that cover everything from body repair and painting, to office management and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) calibration.
The organization focuses on helping underemployed and vulnerable populations, including the formerly incarcerated and victims of domestic violence. According to On The Road Garage, existing talent in the industry is aging out and there is not a large pool of talent to replace them, since four-year degrees have largely replaced trade training for younger generations. With the opening of the Irving location, On The Road Garage is also looking to put workers in the industry or others who are simply interested in the field who have been laid off or furloughed due to the pandemic on a track for higher earning jobs. The organization launched an online training course in ADAS technology this month, in a partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission.
On The Road Garage is planning to open a second location in Dallas location in the fall.
“We expect our apprentices to be placed in jobs prior to completion of the program or to launch their own businesses, with the potential of earning a six-figure income without a four-year degree,” Corson said.
