The Darren Dean Vocational Education Grant
The Rotary Club of Morgan Hill is excited to honor those that will play a pivotal role in creating a better life for our community through skilled labor. Skilled labor refers to workers who perform hands-on work and possess abilities, training, and safety-minded expertise within their industry. They bring proven experience and knowledge to job sites and construction businesses. People engaged in the “Trades” make a lasting and meaningful impact on society. They create homes for our families, structures for our profession, and transform the ordinary into the magical. The Rotary Club of Morgan Hill is honored to create a program to assist members of the community in their endeavor to be a part of this critical profession.
The importance of skilled labor cannot be overstated; we are experiencing a crumbling infrastructure, a disappearance of vocational education in our public schools, and an ever-widening skills gap. At times, members of this skilled labor community demonstrate not only their importance but represent the Trades as a whole being a necessary component of our lives.
One such person was Darren Dean, a local Morgan Hill painting contractor that bridged the gaps between his profession, community service, and community leadership. Darren was an entrepreneur who ran a successful business and managed to figure out just the right work-life balance; in his far too short of a life, he touched so many in Morgan Hill. Darren served as a mentor to many around him, providing opportunities for change in their life, and the lives of those around them. From the traditional trades like construction to those that equally impact others, like music, cosmetology, and culinary arts, Darren inspired many to pursue their passion. In honor of Darren Dean, the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill has created the Darren Dean Vocational Education Grant.
The Darren Dean Vocational Education Grant offers financial support to individuals seeking a career in the Trades and can be used for education and training, as well as tools and supplies. Individual grants up to $2,000 are available to eligible applicants each year. The Rotary Club of Morgan Hill wants to help eliminate the financial hurdles for those looking to enter this honorable profession, and in doing so, better the community.
We are proud of those that make a difference in our lives every day by being a member of skilled labor and their work with the Trades; we hope to connect members of the community with the value of a skilled workforce.
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