Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) recently received a $10,000 Gene Haas Foundation Grant. Developed by Gene Haas, owner of Haas Automation Inc., the largest machine tool builder in the Western world, the foundation was formed in 1999 to support the charitable needs within its local community of Ventura County, Calif. QCC received a $10K grant from the Gene Haas Foundation. Courtesy of Quinsigamond Community College. As the foundation grew, so did the need for a stronger manufacturing workforce. A report called “The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing 2015 and Beyond” projected that “over the next decade, nearly three and a half million manufacturing jobs will likely need to be filled,” confirming the need for a skilled manufacturing workforce. Today the focus and mission of the Gene Haas Foundation is in line with the needs of the educational community to support manufacturing and help introduce students to careers in machining and related technologies. To date, the foundation has donated over $52 million to support educators. High schools and colleges are eligible to apply for the funds on an annual cycle. “There’s a shortage of skilled labor and as more people age out of the industry, there’s a dire need to replace them with well-educated, skilled workers,” said QCC president Luis Pedraja, Ph.D. The Haas Foundation grant will be used for manufacturing scholarships that will be awarded in the spring.