The AED Foundation last week hosted a forum at the Hotel George on Capitol Hill to highlight workforce issues and the critical shortage of diesel technicians. North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, provided the keynote address. “Across the country, there are men and women who are building roads and bridges; mining natural resources; harvesting crops; bringing lumber to market; and so much more. They could not succeed without the industrial equipment you and your workers manufacture and maintain,” Foxx remarked. “I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and share what Congress is doing to close the skills gap and ensure workers are equipped with the skills they need to compete for today’s jobs. Like you, we’re doing everything we can to help build a brighter, more prosperous future for our country,” she added.
“We were pleased to have Rep. Foxx join us today and appreciate her commitment to providing solutions to key workforce issues,” stated Associated Equipment Distributors President and CEO Brian P. McGuire. McGuire added.
The AED Foundation also unveiled its new logo and tagline at the luncheon. The AED Foundation decided to refresh its logo to highlight the momentum stemming from a record fundraising event earlier this year and with an eye on the horizon for more technical colleges accredited in the US and Canada in 2017. “The logo reflects upward motion with the tread and the tagline better defining what the Foundation is about moving forward,” stated AED Foundation Chairman Denny Vander Molen. The new tagline “Constructing Paths To Opportunity” helps The AED Foundation appeal to a larger audience, including dealers and potential employees for our industry.”
The AED Foundation officially recognized its first in the nation high school diesel technology program at Anne Arundel High School System’s Center of Applied Technology North in Severn, Maryland on April 6th.