WILLIAMSON COLLEGE OF THE TRADES AWARDED $250K FROM THE SINGLETON FOUNDATION FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship announces today the donation of $250K to the Williamson College of the Trades. The donation comes as a part of the Foundation's CEO Prize event which recognizes and honors a living CEO whose work demonstrates a combination of talent, vision, focus, and commitment, thereby producing exceptional shareholder returns over decades. This year's prize was awarded to W. Nicholas Howley, Founder and Executive Chairman of TransDigm Group, Inc. With the award is a cash donation to the charity of his choice that is aligned with the Singleton Foundation's mission: Williamson College of the Trades.

Williamson College, a private men's junior vocational college in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania, provides a rigorous three year academic and trade education to its talented and deserving student body. The college serves students who are financially challenged and provides them with full scholarships for a tuition-free education, and free room and board. Students experience a highly structured and nurturing campus environment, meant to prepare them to be top-tier tradesmen in the workforce. The combination of rigorous instruction and a living-learning community that imparts the College's core values of faith, integrity, diligence, excellence and service produce the kind of tradesmen who companies compete to hire. 

"We are honored to have Nick Howley as our partner. He has helped to provide the resources necessary to educate young men in the trades, expand our enrollment, and support a new trade program here," said Williamson President Michael J. Rounds. "Williamson emphasizes character development and leadership as an important part of its educational model. At graduation, 96% of our students have jobs in their field. Williamson had over 206 employers from 16 states attending our Career Fairs last year to recruit one of our 65 seniors." 

"Increasing our enrollment over the next five years is one of our strategic goals. We turn away hundreds of applicants each year because we do not have room for them. We want more young men to benefit from a Williamson education and go out into the world with the trade skills and character traits that are necessary for personal and professional success. It is critical to have a place to house the additional students, because residential life is integral to Williamson's teaching of character and leadership. We are grateful to Nick Howley for directing his prize from the Singleton Foundation to Williamson and for investing in our mission," added President Rounds.

"The CEO Prize is an important component of the Singleton Foundation," said Shelley Miles, CEO of the Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship. "This donation exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit on which our organization was founded, and by allowing Williamson College to expand their mission, we give much needed assistance for better head starts as these young people enter the workforce."

The mission of The Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship is to inspire entrepreneurship and to make financial competence fun, engaging and accessible to all. Our goal is to help give everyone the financial skills they need to better manage their lives and their businesses.

Williamson College of the Trades was established in 1888 through a $2 million gift from Isaiah V. Williamson. For over 134 years, Williamson has provided an opportunity for financially challenged young men to receive an education for a career in the trades. Williamson graduates 75 percent of students who enroll and 96 percent of the students have employment upon graduation. Williamson graduates earn an Associate in Specialized Technology Degree in one of the following programs: Construction Technology—Carpentry Emphasis; Construction Technology—Electrical Emphasis; Construction Technology—Masonry Emphasis; Landscape Construction and Management; Machine Tool Technology; and Power Plant Technology.

 Media Contact
Jeff Hare /The Singleton Foundation
(818) 726-9238
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SOURCE The Singleton Foundation