Earlier this year, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes partnered with Larsen Motorsports to establish The Blazing Trails Scholarship Fund to address the talent shortage facing the collision repair industry.

At SEMA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes and several well-known painters came together to support the program, auctioning off one-of-a-kind artwork and raising more than $25,000 for the Blazing Trails Scholarship Fund – Blazing Trails, a 501(c)3.

“Blazing Trails supports over 10,000 students annually through our educational outreach,” said Elaine Larsen, co-founder of LMS. “It is our hope with the establishment of this scholarship that the talent shortage facing the automotive industry will be addressed as we are looking for deserving students seeking education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) related fields.”

The Blazing Trails Scholarship Fund adds a specific focus to automotive service and collision repair programs at the postsecondary level to its existing vocational and technical training.

The silent auction in the Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes booth at this year’s SEMA show, auctioned off 33 art panels as large as 9 ft. by 6 ft. airbrushed and pinstriped by names including Steve Gibson, Joe Martin, Ryan Templeton and Darren Wenzel, among others. The auction was held in memory of Kat Moller, former jet car driver for LMS.

“Attracting career-minded students and skilled professionals to pursue an education in automotive service and collision repair is key,” said Rob Mowson, VP of marketing, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. “Collision repair is becoming highly technical and there is a shortage of young talent entering the auto repair industry. Millennial recruitment for auto repair shops is more important now than ever before.”