FENTON, Mo. — The NAEDA Equipment Dealers Foundation (EDF) has awarded 15 scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year to students planning to join or currently employed by equipment dealers who are members of the North American Equipment Dealers Assn. (NAEDA). Coupled with matching funds from sponsoring dealers, the scholarships total $28,000.

The NAEDA Equipment Dealers Foundation scholarship program is available to students in each of NAEDA’s nine regions throughout North America who have been sponsored and recommended by a NAEDA dealer member. 

“These scholarship funds are awarded to assist in the training, retraining or advancement of employees or potential employees of equipment dealers in order to create a larger pool of qualified, committed, long-term employees for those dealerships,” said Farrell Oswald, EDF Chairman. “This assistance can be applied for individual classes, vocational training curriculums, associate degrees, bachelor degrees and post-graduate degrees.”

Technical training is just one of the many educational programs supported by these scholarships. Scholarships were awarded for degrees and training ranging from accounting and finance to biosystems and engineering. “The variety of training opportunities within an equipment dealership is diverse,” said Richard E. Lawhun, president and CEO.  “For example, with the growth of precision agriculture, many dealerships now have full-time agronomists on staff. Training in this field would also be supported by the scholarship.”

EDF’s increased commitment to education and training requires a significant need for additional funds to match the growth in applications submitted by current and future employees of dealer members.

For more information about the EDF scholarship program or to make a tax-deductible contribution, visit www.naeda.com/Foundation.