The Ford Buffalo Stamping Plant has committed $150,000 to expand hands-on STEM learning and workforce readiness programs for more than 8,300 youth served annually by seven Boys & Girls Clubs across Ford’s Western New York footprint. The investment launches new STEM & Workforce Labs in Buffalo, Depew-Lancaster, East Aurora, Eden–Lake Shore, Elma, Marilla, and Wales, Northtowns, and Orchard Park, creating direct pathways into high-demand technical and skilled-trade careers.
This funding supports the Ford Future Workforce Initiative, a partnership designed to connect young people to robotics, design, engineering, green-tech exploration, and real-world career experiences tied to the future of manufacturing and sustainability. Each Club will receive startup funding for equipment, technology, and project-based materials, alongside regional training and coordination from the Boys & Girls Clubs Collaborative of Western New York.
The investment ensures Western New York Club kids will participate in project-based STEM learning, exposure to technical careers, and mentorship experiences with Ford professionals. Clubs will have the flexibility to select tools and curricula that best match their existing strengths and the interests of local youth — from robotics and engineering builds to green technology and design challenges.
The seven Clubs in Ford’s footprint reach thousands of young people across diverse neighborhoods region-wide — from Buffalo to suburban and rural communities across Western New York — each offering safe spaces, caring mentors, and opportunities that help youth thrive. Through this partnership, Ford is helping expand that impact even further, ensuring more young people have access to high-quality STEM learning and early exposure to career pathways that help build a strong future across the region.
Tracy Bradshaw, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Boys & Girls Clubs Collaborative of WNY, said, “This investment isn’t just about equipment — it’s about belief. Ford is telling our kids that their ideas, their curiosity, and their future matter. These STEM & Workforce Labs will help youth across Western New York see themselves as designers, builders, problem-solvers, and innovators. When a company like Ford opens the door, our kids don’t just walk through it — they run.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs Collaborative of WNY unites 12 independent Clubs serving nearly 13,000 youth annually across the region. Together, Clubs provide safe out-of-school spaces, caring mentors, nutritious meals, and programming in education, leadership, mental health, STEM, workforce readiness, the arts, and recreation.
Brian Kendig, Plant Manager at the Ford Buffalo Stamping Plant, said, “The future of the auto industry will continue to be shaped by advanced technology, innovation, and a highly skilled workforce. That’s why this partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs is so important. These new labs will empower young people to explore robotics, engineering, and hands on learning—experiences that can spark lifelong interests and open pathways to meaningful careers in manufacturing.”
The Ford Buffalo Stamping Plant in Blasdell, is one of Ford Motor Company’s longest-operating manufacturing facilities, serving Western New York for the past 75 years, producing high-quality metal stampings and sub-assemblies for Ford vehicles across North America. The plant spans more than 2 million square feet and plays a vital role in Ford’s supply chain, supporting advanced manufacturing, skilled trades, and hundreds of local jobs in Western New York.
