Trace Strock, a student at Trenholm State Technical College, has been announced as a recipient of the 2021 Lockheed Martin Vocational Training Scholarship. The scholarship is a first-of-its-kind program that is awarded to students with a high school diploma seeking training from an accredited vocational-technical institution to prepare them for a career in technology and advanced manufacturing.
Strock, who is working toward his certification in Mechanic & Repair Technologies, expressed the need for formal vocational training in the modern workforce.
“As I continue my academic career, this scholarship will be so helpful in completing my degree on time so that I may enter the workforce and begin my career,” said Strock. “It seems to me that many of my peers have lost sight of the importance of individuals that are formally trained in a trade.”
A total of 150 Vocational Training Scholarships were awarded in 2021, with each recipient receiving a $6,600 stipend to help cover the cost of tuition.
Strock concluded, “[Lockheed Martin’s] support of students that plan to enter a trade is paramount to ensuring that America’s upcoming generations understand the dire need and importance of formally trained tradespeople.”
In total, Lockheed Martin is donating more than $6.5 million to students in need this year. This contribution is part of a 2018 initiative to create 8,000 new workforce development programs and invest $50 million in educational enrichment programs. The awards are funded by proceeds from corporate tax reform and are part of a larger investment of $460 million by Lockheed Martin in education and innovation over a period of five years.
Lockheed Martin holds a decades-long relationship with the state of Alabama. In recent years, the aerospace and defense giant has ramped up its investment in the Yellowhammer State, particularly in the Tennessee Valley.
In 2019, Lockheed Martin announced that North Alabama would become its flagship location for its hypersonics program. Last year, the defense contractor began construction on its hypersonics manufacturing facility based in Courtland at the Lawrence County Industrial Park, where it would conduct assembly, integration and testing of hypersonics programs.
Further adding to this investment and bolstering its presence in the Rocket City, Lockheed Martin recently acquired Huntsville-based Integration Innovation Inc.’s hypersonics portfolio.
Lockheed also operates a missile production facility at its Pike County Campus in Troy, where the company plans to ramp up Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) production beginning in the latter part of next year.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News
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