Piston Foundation: Already making an impact

What does the collector car community need more than anything else? Young technicians, of course. There is a severe lack of youths finding themselves in automotive restoration positions. Without the hands needed to repair, maintain, and preserve classic vehicles, car culture has a real employment crisis on its hands. Yet paradoxically, there are more than enough young. And passionate car enthusiasts considering a career with classic cars. So, what’s the problem? Why aren’t these young people ending up in exciting car careers? Unfortunately, overcoming the hurdles required in order to make it as a budding technician is extremely challenging. Not to mention leaving no practical means to enter the trade. This is where the Piston Foundation enters the chat.

Visit the Piston Foundation website

The solution

The Piston Foundation was founded in 2021 to solve the workforce shortage plaguing the collector car community. We’re creating a career pathway that will support aspiring technicians from the classroom to the car shop floor. Here’s how we aim to do it:

The Piston Scholarship provides financial aid to those enrolled in a 2- to 4-year auto tech or restoration program. Technical education is expensive and those tuition costs can pose a real barrier to entry into the world of cars. Students who apply and are accepted for a scholarship may receive up to $5,000 to help fund their automotive education. To date, we’ve granted scholarships to 33 promising students and are looking forward to announcing our 2024 class of scholars later this summer.

The Piston Academy Apprenticeship takes hands-on training to the next level by taking qualified restoration graduates and placing them in a full-time job at a Piston-partnered shop. Even graduates from the best restoration programs won’t have gained all the necessary hands-on experience to land a full-time, billable job. As such, the biggest barrier new apprentices face is the disparity between what they can be paid in an entry level role and the cost of living needed to reside in their city of work. The Piston Academy’s apprenticeship program provides a training grant so apprentices can gain the necessary work experience and shops can afford to invest in a new wave of talent. The apprenticeship is currently in a trial stage with a widespread model potentially slated for 2025.

How does the Piston Foundation measure the success and impact of its programs and initiatives?

Asking the question to Piston Foundation President and COO Jeff Mason:

“The Piston career initiative supports aspiring technicians with both education and job networking. This way, they can learn the skills that earn them a job in the collector car industry.

We measure our success by the number of scholarship applications we receive, the number of returning Piston Scholars,  the school-year completion rate of our scholars, and the number of graduated Piston scholars working in the industry.

Since our career program began in 2022, Piston has awarded 53 scholarships totaling $197,500 to auto restoration students at schools in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, and our applicants have come from 37 states.

In 2024, Piston received its highest number of scholarship applications yet, indicating a strong interest in these careers. Nine of this year’s 20 scholars have earned an award more than once, with one three-time recipient. The completion rate of Piston Scholars since 2022 is 98% and all nine of our scholars who have graduated from their school programs are now working in the industry.

The Piston career initiative is making the impact our donors want to see by creating a pipeline of talent who will help the car community continue to thrive.”

Can you share some success stories or case studies that highlight the Foundation’s impact on the car community?

More insights from Piston Foundation President and COO Jeff Mason:

“Piston Scholars are a remarkable group of aspiring technicians. Each has dedicated themselves to learning the craft of auto restoration and building a career in the trade. Among the Piston scholars now working in the industry, three stand out for the unique career paths they’ve chosen. And the impact they are making: Victoria Bruno, Sean Whetstone, and Joe Estevez.

First student awarded a Piston scholarship: Victoria Bruno

Victoria Bruno was the first student awarded a Piston scholarship when she was a senior at McPherson College. She was already breaking barriers with her passion for vintage sports cars and her skill at rebuilding Ferrari engines. While in school she interned at Motion Products where she worked on a Ferrari engine bound for the Pebble Beach Concours. And then another heading to the Cavallino Classic. After graduating she joined Ferrari specialist Patrick Otis & Company. Since, she has gone on to become one of the most highly regarded and recognizable young talents in the Ferrari community.

About leading change in a male-dominated industry Victoria haa a few things to say. “When I walk into a room, I stick out like a sore thumb. That’s [just] part of the culture. I try to embrace every opportunity as a learning opportunity. And I try to hopefully set the tone to make it a safer place for women in the future.” Victoria feels strongly that the work of The Piston Foundation is critical for making these careers accessible. “The Piston scholarship has helped me pursue my dreams. Not only through financially supporting my education, but through support and opportunities,” she said. “They stand as a reliable and incredible network that truly cares about educating the next generation of automotive restorers.”

Read full interview with Victoria Bruno

About Sean Whetstone

For Sean Whetstone, normal high school didn’t work. Taking an auto tech class at a community college made things better. But when that class toured a local auto restoration shop things clicked. And Sean knew he wanted to work on classic cars. He bought an old Chevy Corvair and started learning how. Sean said, “The Corvair pushed me to study automotive restoration. I overhauled the engine and suspension, installed new wiring and did a bit of body work. I had to sell it to redirect my money towards living expenses and tuition at the time. But that car led me to study automotive restoration and learn a whole skill set. It showed me how I want to spend my life. And it gave me a real-world experience to base my studies off.”

Awarded a Piston scholarship

By his junior year in the McPherson College auto restoration program school expenses were exceeding his family’s means. Being awarded a Piston scholarship provided the tuition assistance he and his family needed.  In fact, Sean won a Piston scholarship his senior year as well and without those two years of financial help from Piston, who knows what would have happened for him. “It brings me joy to work with my hands and McPherson College is teaching me rare skills that I will use to make a career of preserving old cars,” Sean said “My mind is well suited to understanding, repairing and creating mechanisms. I love problem solving and making things. I especially love engines.”

During a school break Sean interned at Race Kraft and Design, a performance shop in Englewood, Colorado and was then hired after graduation. “[It’s] a very small, but very high level shop and I expect to get a lot of experience operating at the top of the collector car world.” From high school struggle to skilled trade success, Sean’s story shows how powerful the right help, at the right time, can be.

About Joe Estevez

For Joe Estevez, the future of classic cars is in the 3D models, CNC machining, and 3D printing he uses to create parts for his father’s race cars, his own ‘83 Volkswagen van, and also aerospace parts at his new job.

While studying for an associate degree at Palm Beach (Florida) State College, Joe got interested in CAD (computer aided design) and how he might use it to design car parts. His dad’s race cars and his own classic cars gave him a ready list of needed parts.

“I started to understand how the new technology is being applied to racing nowadays and to the restoration of historic cars, ” said Joe. “I started learning the fundamentals of designing and what it takes to build the race cars that I remember seeing as a little kid. Every day on my own time at home [I started] learning the programs. I learned Fusion 360, which is great for CAD and design modeling. Then, in school I took the next step forward. Not only designing a part but making a part. So, I learned software for CNC (computer numerical control) to be able to manufacture parts. I fell in love with designing and manufacturing and being able to take something from an idea to a physical part.”

With his new found love of design, Joe switched his major to the machining technology program, a change made possible when he was awarded a Piston scholarship, without it he couldn’t afford the tuition.

Opening the doors for many opportunities

Joe’s passion and natural talent opened a door of opportunity at a prestigious aerospace company near his home. Their precision manufacturing blew him away, but they were equally impressed by Joe’s skills.

After graduation he was hired to their design team, but he’s still thinking about cars. “Although it’s not in the automotive field, I took the opportunity because of how precise the parts that they make are. I can benefit from everything I’m learning now to apply it to the automotive industry down the road.” Few of us take a straight path in our careers. At those forks in the road good advice and a helping hand make all the difference. From Joe’s perspective, “Piston has been great in all aspects, from answering questions to being able to assist…in schooling and funding.

Anyone looking to get their foot in the door in the automotive restoration industry should know that there’s a lot of knowledgeable people at Piston who can help.”

Victoria, Sean, and Joe are three bright talents striving to build an automotive career. Without help and direction from the car community and Piston, these young people might never have explored where their talents could take them. The Piston Foundation is focused on providing a career path for the thousands of other young car enthusiasts who, just like Vitoria, Sean, and Joe, are hoping they can put their talent and skills to work as a classic car technician.”

The Piston Foundation

YouTube: @pistonfoundation

Instagram: @pistonfoundation

Facebook: @pistonfoundation

TikTok: @pistonfoundation

Visit the Piston Foundation website