Giving Tuesday
Supporting the RPM
APPRENTICESHIP PRogram
This Giving Tuesday, we're asking for your support of the RPM Foundation Apprenticeship Program. Why is restoration education so critical? A shortage of training outlets, the high cost of education, and the skills gap between students and entry-level workers have combined to create a skilled trade crisis that threatens the future of the collector vehicle industry.
The RPM Apprenticeship Program turns top restoration shops into classrooms where students who are passionate about collector vehicle restoration can earn an income while learning a craft they love. Through our partnerships with world-class facilities and professionals, the RPM Foundation provides a stipend to those accepted into the program, giving them a paid opportunity to learn intricate skills within the automotive restoration field.
Argy's Story
“It’s helped out a lot with my future. Being here in the Museum has helped me greater understand what I’m doing, and hopefully I’ll be able to help the Museum as much as they’ve helped me.”
- Argy Zelaya Castillo
In the video at the top of the page, you'll meet one of the newest RPM Apprentices, Argy Zelaya Castillo. While working at a local dealership after attending community college, the RPM Apprenticeship program helped Argy pursue her dream career in the collector vehicle field. As an apprentice at LeMay - America's Car Museum, she now has the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of classic cars and trucks from multiple genres and generations. Watch her story to learn how this role is advancing her career and her passion, and to find out more about the way the Apprenticeship Program operates.
Lindsey's Story
Dear RPM Foundation Supporters,
My name is Lindsey Stone and I’m an apprentice with the RPM Foundation. I grew up around classic cars with my dad, an extreme gearhead who kept working even after an accident left him paralyzed. As an only child, most Sundays were spent under his Camaro or Dart, and by 16 I knew I didn’t want just any car, I wanted a fifth-gen Mustang, which I bought that summer.
After graduating high school in 2023, I realized I wanted to work with classic cars, but no school near me offered restoration. I found myself at the Jack Frost Auto Museum asking if I could just sweep floors and help out in the shop so I could see what it was like. I spent that summer fooling around in bins of 1931 V12 Cadillac parts until my brain spun. The Jack Frost Auto Museum was who found the RPM Foundation, I was then approached about the Apprenticeship Program and the more I heard about it the more convinced there was there was an opportunity for me to follow my passion.
"I’m scratching the surface, but the amount of knowledge I’ve gained from being hands-on these past few years is extraordinary. It’s never work when you truly enjoy something. If it wasn’t for the RPM Foundation I wouldn’t have been able to follow my dream and be where I am today."
Through the apprenticeship, I’ve had a year and a half in the body shop, welding, fabrication, bodywork, fiberglassing, paint prep, and almost a year in mechanics. RPM even coordinated with the MHRA to have a welder donated, letting me keep practicing at home. Tools aren’t cheap, but the grant stipend helped me build my toolbox the right way and the MHRA has continued to support my apprenticeship.
Being 20 years old now, my friends still look at me like I’m crazy when I say I’ve been working towards becoming a restoration technician. This year I lost my dad. Even though he was my biggest inspiration, I feel connected that I’m able to make him proud and still continue in the field that I feel at home in. It’s never work when you truly enjoy something.
Give Today
Thank you for considering a gift to support the RPM Foundation Apprenticeship Program. Every donation helps us continue our mission of ensuring the next generation of craftspeople are equipped with the proper tools and knowledge for a successful career in vehicle restoration.
