Black high school students invited by Accelerate Auto to tour AutoShow
Accelerate Auto invites Black students from five Toronto-area schools to tour the Canadian International AutoShow, meet auto industry leaders and learn about career opportunities.
TORONTO, ON, February 23, 2023 — Accelerate Auto, a not-for-profit focused on increasing representation of Black talent across Canada’s automotive industry, invited a group of 45 students from five Toronto-area high schools to the Canadian International AutoShow as their guests.
The students were greeted by industry leaders from Accelerate Auto, the Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS), the Trillium Automobile Dealer Association (TADA), the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network’s (OVIN) Skills, Talent, and Workforce Development which is led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), the Automotive Business School of Canada, Ontario Tech University, taq Automotive Intelligence, the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA) and Project Arrow, Canadian auto dealer magazine, prominent car dealers and others.
After some brief presentations from leaders from across the industry, and representatives from colleges and universities, the students toured the show and experienced the excitement of the auto industry first hand.
“You never know what curiosity might be sparked from a visit like this,” said Christopher Nabeta, Executive Chair of Accelerate Auto. “These students were engaged, asking lots of great questions and took in a lot of information. By seeing other Black leaders from across the industry at our event, we hope their takeaway is that there is a place for them in automotive.”
After their tour of the show, the students gathered and took part in a fireside chat featuring various industry professionals, where they got to ask lots of questions about the industry, and the amazing vehicles they had witnessed during their tour.
“I can’t thank our industry partners enough for being so welcoming and helping us deliver an exciting day for these students,” said Nabeta. “All the partners we reached out to were eager to participate, and I think it sends a strong message that this industry is ready for change, and is willing to do the work to make it a more inclusive and diverse place to work.”
About Accelerate Auto
Accelerate Auto is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing Black representation in the Canadian automotive industry. We provide Black talent and youth with access to mentorship for skills building and peer networking to support professional growth and career development. We facilitate career pathing through the form of internships to attract more Black talent to automotive and build awareness of opportunities within the industry. We are dedicated to creating a stronger and more diverse automotive workforce. www.accelerateauto.ca
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