Automotive
Scholarship &
JOb Programs
Fueling the Careers of Future Technicians
A Career Path to Keep Car Culture Alive
The Piston Foundation helps young enthusiasts turn their passion for cars into rewarding careers. Through our Scholarships and developing Jobs Program, we’re building a complete pathway into the collector car industry—from classroom to career.
The Piston Scholarships program helps students afford skilled trade education and prepares them for careers in automotive restoration. Our upcoming Jobs Program will take the next step—helping graduates connect with employers, apprenticeships, and career growth opportunities throughout the collector car industry.
Together, these programs form the foundation of Piston’s mission: to create opportunity for young technicians, strengthen the future of the collector car industry, and keep our shared automotive heritage on the road.
Learn more about our impact and future goals in the 2024 Annual Report.
Scholarship Program:
Helping Students Get Their Start
The Piston Scholarships program helps students take their first steps toward an automotive skilled trade career.
If you’re attending, accepted, or enrolled in a two- or four-year automotive technology program and have a passion for collector cars, a Piston Scholarship can help make school more affordable.
Since 2022, Piston has awarded 83 scholarships totaling $300,000—and every award represents a student gaining the skills to keep car culture alive.
Through the Sponsor a Piston Scholar campaign, the car community can directly fund scholarships that give students the tools, knowledge, and opportunity to turn their passion into a profession.
Jobs Program:
Building the Technician Pipeline
The Piston Jobs Program is the next step in our mission to fuel the careers of future technicians.
This developing initiative will connect Piston Scholars and other qualified graduates with employers across the collector car industry. Restoration shops, collections, and specialty service businesses need skilled talent—and Piston is helping them find it.
By partnering with employers, schools, and industry organizations, the Jobs Program aims to place hundreds of new technicians each year, helping to close the skills gap and ensure the sustainability of the restoration trade.
Learn more about the Donor-Business Partnership model will make the Jobs Program a reality and how you can provide support.
Our Cause
The collector car industry faces a critical shortage of skilled technicians. These are rewarding, high-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree—but too few young people know the opportunity exists. Those who do often struggle to afford training or find a path to employment. That’s where Piston comes in.
We’re helping young enthusiasts get the education, experience, and support they need to build careers in automotive restoration. By funding scholarships and creating a bridge to employment, we’re not only helping individuals succeed—we’re preserving the craft, culture, and history of the cars we love.
As we shared in the 2024 Annual Report, the momentum is growing. With your support, the Piston Foundation is creating a sustainable pipeline of new talent and ensuring that car culture thrives for generations to come.
From the Piston Blog
Piston Scholar Edwin Buiter Steps into Car Restoration
Edwin Buiter, of Ireton, Iowa, is an inaugural recipient of a Piston Scholarship and a student at McPherson College, at just 20 years old, has a collection of four classic cars and proudly and happily works on each of them. While he doesn’t have the budget of most classic car owners, he says, “cars are my passion and I make sacrifices in my life in order to own and maintain my vehicles.”
Piston Scholar Ethan Heck is Off to the Races
21-year-old Ethan Heck is a student at Lanier Technical College in Gainesville, Georgia, enrolled in the Motorsports Vehicle Technology program. While most recipients of the inaugural Piston Scholarships focus primarily on acquiring the skills to restore and/or work on classic and older cars, Ethan “stumbled across videos of stage rallying on the Internet,” at a young age and instantly knew he wanted to be a racing mechanic.
Piston Scholar Zoe Carmichael Loves Her Volkswagen
Zoe Carmichael, 27, is on the verge of turning her knack for repairing her beloved Volkswagen into a restoration profession. She is a non-traditional student at McPherson College and one of the inaugural recipients of the Piston Fund Scholarships in 2022 for students who wish to pursue hands-on careers in the collector car industry.
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