Ford's facilities have a long history of community involvement and investment. Ford of Australia's Broadmeadows Assembly and Geelong Stamping manufacturing facilities provide one example of how we strive to have a positive impact on the communities in which we operate. Managers and other employees of these plants have initiated a wide range of community activities, ranging from employee volunteering to charitable contributions to innovative programs supporting local community employment.
Broadmeadows and Geelong have strong employee volunteer and charitable giving programs. All employees are given 16 hours of paid time off for use in local community volunteer efforts. In addition, employees can have a portion of their paycheck deducted as a charitable contribution to an approved organization, such as the United Way; the Salvation Army; Variety, the Children's Charity; the Society of St. Vincent de Paul; the Smith Family; and Greening Australia. Ford of Australia further bolsters these contributions with annual corporate charitable donations.
Broadmeadows' and Geelong's Community Affairs Committees largely focus their community activities on supporting local education and disadvantaged community members. For example, Broadmeadows has partnered with Hume community schools and Green PC to establish the Connecting Hume PC program. This program awards economically disadvantaged 4th graders from local schools with refurbished computers. In 2006, 24 students received computers. Geelong funds and hosts an annual Ford Kids Day Out, which provides a Christmas Day out at a local Adventure World theme park for 370 local disabled children. Ford employees volunteer as guides and chaperones throughout the day.
Broadmeadows and Geelong also participate in the development of innovative employment and training programs, which are designed to increase economic and personal opportunities for their local communities. Employees in both plants are encouraged to volunteer in mentoring programs, which are focused on building the skills and employability of local youths. For example, Broadmeadows supports the Poll Position program, which trains at-risk youth in basic automotive repair skills, with the aim of helping them to gain employment in the automotive industry. Similarly, Geelong employees support the Hand Brake Turn program, an eight-week training and job search program. Hand Brake Turn is addressing the lack of good social role models and positive life experiences for 15- to 19-year-olds from at-risk backgrounds, including many with a history of car-related crime. These corporate community partnerships provide mutual benefit to all parties. The mentors and mentor trainers gain transferable skills that can be utilized in the workplace or in their personal lives. They also obtain a greater understanding of community issues and the problems that young people face today.
