Anchor Auto Group presents cars to Davies auto program
AND THEY GET A CAR!
LINCOLN Even with a black-and-gold mask covering his nose, mouth and chin, and much of his face from ear-to-ear, it was so easy to see John Adamo’s elation.
His beaming smile was obvious, and why wouldn’t it be Chris %enoit, vice president of the Anchor Auto roup of North Smithfield, had just presented the veteran auto mechanical instructor from the :illiam M. Davies Jr. Career Technical High School the keys to a silver gray 2012 Subaru 2utback and a blue 2010 Subaru Forester.
Adamo called it not only an early Christmas gift, but a first for his school’s renowned Automotive Careers 3rogram, following a brief ceremony in front of the school Thursday afternoon. He admitted pride in the fact that Davies has the only high school automotive collision program in the state.
I had contacted Chris about a month ago, told him I was looking for a vehicle. I said we actually had some money to purchase a newer car, that we had nothing but 20-yearold, outdated domestic vehicles to train on we wanted something newer and something foreign,” Adamo said. :hen I contacted him, he told me he had found a perfect car for us, but also, I’d like to donate a vehicle you guys.’ I was floored.”
Adamo said the new cars are a necessity that will be so helpful” to his class.
The students will get to work on newer technology, and on a foreign rather than a domestic car. To actually have (a foreign car that is ours, a training vehicle, I believe it’s the first time (in school history ,” Adamo said. :e had nothing but old domestics, which is 2.. There’s a lot of interest in domestics, but we obviously need to have experience in both.”
The 2010 Forester came as the present in the deal, while the automotive program purchased the 2utback.
%enoit said that while gifting” a foreign car to Davies was a first, working together for the betterment of the community is nothing new.
No, we didn’t have to do this, but wanted to. We’ve had a partnership with Davies for a number of years in fact, I think we were Partners of the ear in 2018,” Benoit said.
Anchor Auto roup knew the students only had domestic cars that were 20 years or older to work on, Benoit said, and modern technology means that they can’t learn the necessary skills using those cars.
They can learn it in a book, but then they have no way to apply it. This allows these students to do both,” %enoit said. There’s just something about working on cars in real life that really helps cement the learning. :e also work with Davies to bring in students on internships and work-based learning programs, as well as hiring afterward.”
But we actually take it a step further,” he continued. We’ve worked with Davies and Subaru of New England to institute what’s known as Subaru 8niversity’ into the Davies curriculum, so Subaru shares some of the advanced training our technicians go through like orientation and technical training so the students can incorporate it. That way, Davies can dovetail their curriculum with Subaru University’ so that they’re better trained and ready for the real world.”
Ever the years, Benoit said, Subaru has donated things like transmissions, engine blocks from
Subaru of New (ngland. ou combine that with the existing Davies curriculum, he said, and students are 20-2 years ahead of where they would have been otherwise.
“Frankly, institutions rely on folks like Anchor to donate these types of vehicles because it’s not always in the school’s) budget, so we have the opportunity to benefit the school, the students and the community,” Benoit said. “Simply, the more they learn, the better they are at
work when they get out, and then hopefully, they recognize our commitment, so maybe they’ll want to come and work for us.”
It’s as if Anchor Auto roup is investing not only in Davies but itself call it a win-win.
“Honestly, this is so important,” Benoit said. “We’re looking eventually to open a body shop at our campus in North Smithfield), and I will say that getting people who are in the body business and technicians to work on the vehicles is very difficult right now. That’s why Davies is a huge resource for future auto body technicians as well as mechanical technicians.”
When asked exactly how these two SUVs will help further his automotive program, Adamo pointed at the 2010 Forester and said, “For one thing, this is a used vehicle, so it has some bumper issues. 2ur kids in the collision phase will get the chance to fix it, then paint it. They can also take the body panels off, work on a variety of things.
“In addition, these cars are made with aluminum, so it’s trickier to weld and paint, so the students will get to practice on that, get to know more about the advanced safety systems.”
He hesitated, then admitted, “We can’t wait to get going, but it’s going to have to wait until next Tuesday ”