Ed Blackburn of the Gene Haas Foundation presented a check for $10,000 to the Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) Foundation.

The Gene Haas Foundation Grant is given as scholarship money to students pursuing a variety of machinist-based training and engineering programs and certificates at PHCC. These programs include PHCC’s Industrial Electronics – which has maintained a 100 percent certification pass rate for the past four years – and PHCC’s Center for Advanced Film Manufacturing – which has maintained a 93 percent job placement among graduates for the past three years.

“We know that manufacturing and engineering jobs are critical for the growth of the American economy. That’s why the Haas Foundation is eager to support students pursuing these jobs,” said Blackburn.

Dr. Greg Hodges, PHCC’s vice president of Institutional Advancement, Effectiveness, and Campus Life, accepted the check on behalf of the college.

“The college is elated to receive this grant for the second year in a row. For many students, scholarship funds are critical,” Hodges said. “We applaud the Haas Foundation for the significant work it does to support manufacturing and engineering education across the nation. Their work certainly makes an impact in the lives our students.”

The Gene Haas Foundation was founded in 1999 by the owner of Haas Automation, Inc., America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. To promote American manufacturing and manufacturing education, the Haas Foundation has donated more than 50 million dollars to over 4,000 charitable organizations and schools.