Nonprofit Spotlight: Newgate School

Article by Becky Fillinger

Blythe SeversonHave you heard of Newgate School? I recently learned of this a marvelous nonprofit which trains young adults for careers in the automotive industry. We spoke to Blythe Severson, Executive Director, about the origins of the school and the many levels of generosity they provide to the community.

Q:  Please tell us the history and mission of the Newgate School.

A:  Newgate School was founded in 1975 as a nonprofit, tuition-free automotive training facility for underserved young adults in the Twin Cities. Many of our students could not afford post-secondary training or were not successful in traditional classroom style settings. They were struggling to find good paying jobs to support themselves and their families. Students who enroll at Newgate learn through hands-on training on donated vehicles. The students learn auto body and collision repair and general auto mechanics from highly professional and experienced instructors. Within 12 to 18 months, they graduate and join the automotive workforce, earning a good wage and are on their way to a successful and satisfying career.

Q:  How do car donations help the school and the donor?

A:  Newgate depends almost entirely on vehicle donations from the community. People really appreciate the program because it's such a win-win for everyone. Donors provide us with their vehicles and receive a tax deduction on that year's tax return. Students get vehicles they can work on to learn the skills they need to become entry level automotive technicians. The vehicles can get a second life as Newgate sells the repaired and refurbished cars at a local dealer auction and 100% of the proceeds are used at the school to run its operations. Even those vehicles we can't use in training are sold or used for parts so every car donation benefits the school. The local community wins because our students are on their way to better paying jobs that allow them economic independence. The best cars for our students are 15 years old or newer with minimal rust, but we take pretty much any vehicle because they all help the school in one way or another. We love any mechanical or body issue since that's what we need to teach our students. Even cars with blown engines work for us!

Q:  How many students have graduated from your programs? Do you have information on where they’ve found employment?

A:  Newgate trains up to 28 students at a time in our programs. The training works because it's geared specifically to each individual student. Some students who have experience working on cars with their family members may only take 10 months to graduate. Others with English as a second language or with little to no experience working on cars may take 15 months to graduate. Newgate meets them where they are and as long as they have a genuine desire for an automotive career and are committed to the training, our job is to get them through the curriculum and ready for employment on graduation.

Our average placement rate ranges between 95%-100%. We partner with dealerships, national brands and local, individually-owned shops to match our students’ skills and aspirations with companies and environments that will continue to support their success. Newgate's reputation in the local industry is well-known and shops seek out and appreciate our graduates. We set up our training to run like a real shop, and students can work on as many as 50 projects during training, which is invaluable "on-the-job" training that many other automotive programs can't match. The ability to provide that kind of training is completely due to the community donations we gratefully receive.

Q:  Please tell us about the Wheels for Women program.

A:  Newgate's founder started the Wheels program in the mid-90's. Through working in the industry, he became aware of the significant number of young moms struggling to meet the needs of their children in part because they had no access to reliable transportation. Imagine raising your family, working full-time, bringing kids to daycare, managing errands, school activities and health appointments without a vehicle. So Newgate students began repairing 1-2 cars per month to give to single moms who are working or going to school full-time. There are some pretty strict requirements for which cars are selected for the program, and they must pass a rigorous maintenance check. Students get the satisfaction of paying it forward and the school has now provided close to 800 vehicles for single, working moms. We know that the program makes an incredible difference in their lives. Kids make it to school on a regular basis and are able to participate in sports and other activities, moms can keep a job because they can get there reliably each day and no longer have to depend on friends or family to get groceries or keep appointments. Some moms are even able to plan for additional schooling for themselves, all because they have reliable transportation.

Q:  How may we follow your news?

A:  You can find Newgate on our website, on Facebook, Instagram and nextdoor.

We welcome Mill City Times readers to come for a tour. Drop by 2900 Hennepin Avenue E or call 612-378-0177.