On Sept. 17, Penske held a dedication ceremony for its recently updated branded classroom at Western Technical College in El Paso, Texas. The classroom will continue to be used for hands-on training, introducing state-of-the-art technologies and creating an exciting learning environment where students can earn industry certifications and pursue career opportunities during and after their studies. It also reaffirms Penske’s partnership with Western Tech and allows them to continue building upon their already strong relationship.

“About seven years back, we really started getting involved with Western Tech and recruiting from them. It may have gone back even further than that,” said District Service Manager Monty Apodaca, who is currently based in Las Vegas but got his start with Penske in 2011 as a technician in Albuquerque. “I started out as a tech, then was a Service Manager in El Paso for a couple of years and that’s where I really started my relationship with Western Tech.” According to Apodaca, the three existing Penske locations in El Paso maintain a relationship with the college. “We have our El Paso location on the east side, El Paso on the west side, and Mesilla Valley. Those three locations often recruit from Western Tech.”

Initially, Western Tech had a career placement advisor who was active in the community. Penske was invited to a career fair at the school, which provided opportunities to engage students directly and generate interest. Since then, Penske has maintained a regular presence.

“There were designated days where we would have one classroom and I would go into the room and talk a little bit about Penske, what we do. It was a chance for about 30 minutes to share information and talk about the company and try to get them excited about a career with us,” said Apodaca.

When speaking with students, Apodaca noted that many had little awareness of the range of opportunities within the company. “Whenever I spoke to a class or a smaller group, it was interesting that no one really knew what we do, who and how big we really are. I’d mention our size on a commercial scale, and that our product lines go way beyond the yellow trucks they see on the road. That would bring out a lot of excitement. I’d talk about how large our fleet is worldwide and how many locations we have across the U.S. It’s impactful having those conversations and putting those facts out there. They don’t typically see how big and how great of a company Penske really is.”

Sharing personal experiences often helped Apodaca connect with the students. “I came in as a technician. I worked at a dealership for ten years prior to coming into Penske. I loved turning wrenches, but I wanted to further my career which is one of the reasons I chose Penske. I started out as a tech and was able to work my way up through the ranks and move around. There have been a lot of cool opportunities and learnings. The more I talked about that with them, the more they could see a career path and a future for themselves.”

When asked about the importance of Penske’s connection to Western Tech and both short- and long-term goals of continuing to build the relationship, Apodaca mentioned that, in his experience, many students he came across were short-term focused. “They weren’t always looking toward long-term goals most of the time,” Apodaca said. “When we started talking about how many paths Penske offers, even in different departments, they realized that you could do so many things. I’d always hit on that because it got them thinking about how this can be a career, not just a job out of college or their program.”

Many Western Tech graduates have turned into successful associates at Penske. The school’s efforts and its relationship with Penske has been key components. “They do a really great job training the students there,” said Apodaca. “They have a top-notch facility, and the school prepares them for what they’re going to see in the real-world. Penske Mesilla Valley donates trucks to the college every year. Those are the trucks we work on that were in our fleet, so when those students come to us, they already have a good idea of what they’re getting into.”

For more information about careers with Penske, please visit: www.penske.jobs