TUCSON, Ariz. — The Sundt Foundation will present the Pima JTED Foundation with a $28,012.74 gift on Friday, September 12, at 3 p.m. at the JTED @ The Bridges Campus (3300 S. Park Ave.) The donation will help ensure students preparing for careers in the trades have the tools they need and a more equitable chance to compete in skills competitions and succeed in the workforce.
The funds were raised during the 22nd Annual Tucson Sundt Foundation Charity Sporting Clay Fun Shoot and will be distributed as mini-grants to JTED Career and Technical Education programs across Pima, Santa Cruz, and Pinal counties. Programs supported include Construction Technologies, Welding, Electronic Technologies, Carpentry, HVAC, and Stagecraft.
“High school technical programs like JTED offer an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience and create a vision for their future. Seeing the disparity in tools the student teams had during the SkillsUSA competition made us realize that without the right resources, students weren’t going to see the full potential of that career vision,” said Andres Herrera, Sundt Project Manager. “At Sundt, we are passionate about introducing construction to students and helping them see how many opportunities are available to them in this industry. We’re excited to further our partnership with the Pima JTED Foundation through this grant program and help youth in our community discover new talents and build their capabilities.”
Lauren Moraga, President of the JTED Foundation, said, “We are thrilled to partner with the Sundt Foundation to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. By providing classrooms with industry-standard equipment, we’re giving students the tools to excel in competitions and ultimately thrive in the construction industry.”
Sundt Construction, Inc. (www.sundt.com) is one of the country’s largest and most respected general contractors. The 135-year-old firm specializes in transportation, water and wastewater, advanced facilities, heavy industrial and mining, building, concrete and renewable power work and is owned entirely by its 4,000 employees. Sundt is distinguished by its diverse capabilities and experience, unique employee-ownership culture and depth of self-perform expertise in multiple trades. Much of Sundt’s workforce is comprised of skilled craft professionals who, together with the company’s administrative employees, enable Sundt to fulfill its mission to be the most skilled builder in America. Sundt has 13 offices throughout California, Arizona, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, Utah and Florida and is currently ranked the country’s 46th largest construction company by ENR, the industry’s principal trade magazine.
Pima JTED is a public Career and Technical Education District serving approximately 30,000 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Pima, Santa Cruz, and Pinal counties. In partnership with business, industry, and 14 public school districts, JTED provides premier CTE programs that enable students to earn industry certifications, state licenses, and real-world experience for college and career success.