Mack School Tour Continues Fall Swing Through Florida

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Nov. 7, 2002; The Mack School Tour, promoting technical careers, rolls southward into Florida, with seven stops before concluding its East Coast swing in Miami shortly before Thanksgiving.

Mack Trucks, Inc. is using its experience as one of America's leading truck manufacturers to illustrate the wide range of job opportunities in technical and industrial fields - often requiring other than a four-year post- secondary degree.

The Florida stops are scheduled for Bradford-Union Voc-Tech, 609 N. Orange Street in Starke, on Tuesday, Nov. 12; Oak Ridge High School, 6000 South Winegard Road in Orlando on Wednesday, Nov. 13; Plant High School, 7950 Gunn Highway, Tampa on Friday, Nov. 15; Northeast High School, 5500 16 Street North, St. Petersburg on Monday, Nov. 18; American Senior High School, 18350 Northwest 65 Ave., Miami on Wednesday, Nov. 20; Stranahan High School, 1800 SW Fifth Place, Ft. Lauderdale on Thursday, Nov. 21; and Miami Lakes Educational Center, 5780 Northwest 158th Street, Miami on Friday, Nov. 22.

The Mack School Tour features a traveling historical exhibit of older transportation technology innovations from Mack, contrasted with one of Mack's technologically advanced, computer-programmable truck models.

A fast-paced video and live presentation will highlight opportunities at manufacturing companies like Mack for employees with skills and training outside of traditional four-year college degree programs.

"Like many manufacturers, Mack depends on a skilled technical workforce in all facets of our business," said Tom Kelly, vice president of marketing at Mack. "The Mack School Tour urges young people, when planning their futures, to consider training after high school that leads to well-paid technical careers in a variety of industries."

Kelly said many technical careers, in high demand areas, require only a two-year degree. Among them, he said, are computer support, automotive service, HVAC, electrical power and aircraft maintenance.

Kelly noted some disturbing trends in college completion - such as the U.S. Department of Education's estimate that of those high school graduates heading to college this fall, only 34 percent are likely to have earned two- or four-year degrees by 2006. Other studies indicate that one-third of all college freshmen drop out during their first year.

At the same time, industrial and manufacturing companies are reporting difficulty in finding and keeping workers with different types of technical training. And the U.S. Department of Labor expects only one-quarter of jobs to require a college degree by 2007.

Kelly noted that many technical careers, in high demand areas, require only a two-year degree. "Mack employees range from engineers to artists and writers - and we're not alone. Of course, many jobs in our industry require advanced graduate degrees, but many more require technical certifications and, most important, a proven willingness to continually learn new skills," said Kelly.

"These positions can lead to rewarding careers for students who may find that the traditional four-year college degree doesn't really fit their interests. Parents and students alike owe it to themselves to check out all the opportunities out there before making expensive career decisions, and we hope that highlighting career choices through the Mack School Tour will encourage them to do just that," Kelly said.

Mack is one of North America's leading producers of heavy-duty trucks; the company also markets a line of medium-duty diesel trucks across North America. MACK vehicles are sold and serviced in more than 45 countries worldwide. Dedicated to quality, reliability, and total customer satisfaction, Mack Trucks, Inc. has provided its customers with innovative transportation solutions for more than a century. Today, Mack is one of North America's largest producers of heavy-duty trucks, and MACK® vehicles are sold and serviced in more than 45 countries worldwide.

Mack is a member of the Volvo Group, a publicly held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. With annual sales of approximately $18 billion, Volvo business areas include heavy trucks, buses, construction equipment, marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace, and financial services. In the United States, Volvo shares are listed on NASDAQ and are traded as ADRs .