FENNIMORE — Advance Auto Parts of Platteville recently donated literally a truck load of automotive shop supplies and vehicle parts for the benefit of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College students. 

Lee Donar, district manager of Advance Auto Parts, made the delivery of donated items. 

“From hose clamps to cleaning solutions, these are all items that we need to train students to be automotive technicians,” said Southwest Tech Automotive Technician Instructor Dan Schildgen. “This is a great gift and we appreciate Advance Auto Parts partnering with the College for the betterment of our students and the region.” 

Donar highlighted the long-standing relationship that Advance Auto Parts and its subsidiary CarQuest Auto Parts has had with Southwest Tech. “It is important to support technical education because we need automotive technicians and Southwest Tech is where students go to start their careers,” he said. 

The donation will benefit not only students studying to be automotive mechanics, but also auto body and collision specialists and agriculture equipment mechanics. Demand for technicians in these fields remains very high as employers struggle to find qualified workers. In response to career opportunities and generous wages, enrollment at Southwest Tech has been strong in the Automotive Technician, Auto Collision Repair & Refinish Technician, and Agricultural Power & Equipment Technician diploma programs. 

On Monday, Aug. 24 new and returning students began attending classes for the fall semester at Southwest Tech.