By Blake Haas
BLOOMINGTON – Three Heartland Community College students are the first recipients of the Lynne Mohr Scholarship for Skilled Trades Students.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) Education Foundation announced David Mufata Ikeise, Brenda Lang, and Thomas Miller, all of Bloomington, were awarded $1,000 scholarships to continue their studies in Manufacturing.
“I think the fact that we have three students chosen from a strong applicant pool for this IMA scholarship is reflective of the fact that we’re committed to developing programs that provide a fast track to in-demand jobs that will fuel manufacturing in Illinois,” Steve Fast, Heartland Director of Communication said.
We’ve seen students that are studying fields that are really developing in the manufacturing workforce in things like electric vehicles, advanced Manufacturing, renewable energy, industrial technology, and robotics. And those programs are going to be very vital in making sure that we have the workers for the growing industry that we will have in central Illinois and beyond.”
The endowment scholarship was funded through the IMA Education Foundation and a weeks-long cross-country fundraising bike ride.
“These students have demonstrated a passion for manufacturing and are excited at the prospect of working in a growing, cutting-edge industry,” Sarah Hartwick, Vice President of Education and Workforce Development, said. “The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the IMA Education Foundation are proud to help them work toward their goals as we seek to build a strong and skilled workforce.”
The scholarship is in honor of former Brite-O-Matic Manufacturing President Lynne Mohr, whose dedication to the manufacturing industry is known throughout the state.
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].
