Supporting the development of a skilled workforce in Texas, Mahindra USA Inc., Career and Technology Association of Texas, Inc. announce the Mahindra Texas Pride scholarship program. The scholarship fund will offer Texas high school seniors participating in Career and Technical Education (CTE) the opportunity to obtain scholarships to pursue a college education in preparation to enter a globally competitive workforce.

“Building a skilled workforce is a top priority for Texas,” said Senator Dan Patrick of Houston. “Investing in highly motivated youth and providing opportunities for them to build upon their education is a critical step toward making that a reality.”

CTE prepares students to be college and career-ready by providing core academic skills, employability skills and technical, job-specific skills. Today’s career and technical education programs integrate academics in a rigorous and relevant curriculum and include postsecondary partnerships enabling clear pathways to certifications and degrees.

Scholarship applications are available online here. Applicants must plan to enroll as a full-time student in an accredited institution of higher learning for the fall semester of 2014 and the spring semester of 2014.

“Investing in the future of our youth with these Mahindra Texas Pride Scholarships is the core of the Mahindra ‘Rise’ philosophy of accepting no limits, employing alternative thinking and driving positive change to help transform lives,” said Cleo Franklin, Vice President, Marketing and Strategic Planning, Mahindra USA. “Mahindra may be the world’s number one selling tractor, however it is important that we are number one when it comes to investing in our future leaders. We are honored to participate in this scholarship program with CTAT.”

“The partnership is designed to help students get a jump-start on building academic and technical skills valued by employers,” said Robin Painovich, executive director of Career and Technology Association of Texas. “Students participating in career and technical education outperform their peers in attendance rates, graduation rates, test scores and have gained an advantage through exposure to real-world career skills.”

If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Cleo Franklin or Robin Painovich, please call Martin Cisneros, Marketing Communications Manager, Mahindra USA, at 281-449-7771 ext. 1126 or e-mail Martin at "mail to:martin.cisneros@mahindrausa.com"