DENSO Donates Racetrack to Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan

Donation supports efforts to inspire students’ interest in STEM careers, strengthen career preparedness

“DENSO’s racetrack donation supports our continuous efforts to spark students’ imaginations and help build the future workforce,” said Kenichiro Ito, senior executive officer for DENSO Corporation and chief executive officer of DENSO’s North American Headquarters. “By exposing students to STEM education, they learn how they too can create innovations that propel society forward. As a leading mobility supplier, it’s our responsibility to positively contribute to these experiences and set young learners up for success.”

At JA STEMworks! events, students participate in a variety of hands-on activities, including programming and coding exercises and CAD (computer-aided drafting) experimentation, as well as a race car building challenge using a variety of materials and the skills they learned throughout the day. Professionals currently employed in STEM fields speak with students about their work and how the STEMworks! activities relate to real-life careers.

“By offering these programs to students exploring their futures, we hope to encourage their interest and excitement in STEM fields,” said Jennifer Champion, vice president of development and marketing at JA of Southeastern Michigan. “We’re grateful for DENSO’s donation, as it represents part of a larger effort to bolster the numbers of students entering STEM professions.”

As technology continues to develop and change the workplace, an estimated 4.6 million manufacturing jobs will be needed over the next decade. However, more than 2 million of these jobs are projected to go unfilled due to the skills gap – and manufacturers are already reporting shortages of qualified applicants for open positions. As part of DENSO’s long-term policy, which aims to create new value for future mobility, the company is committed to addressing the skilled labor talent gap by inspiring future professionals to pursue STEM-related careers.

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