Not only the players are getting involved in NIL opportunities.
While it’s not quite the same, given that Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh can partner with anyone he likes since he’s not a student-athlete, the eighth-year head man is looking to give back through a new sponsorship opportunity.
Per a press release from the Wolverine boot company, Jim Harbaugh is partnering with them as well as SkillsUSA to support students who seek to get involved in skilled trades rather than going to a four-year university. He’ll be speaking to students in Bay City, Michigan on May 4, 2023 to support this initiative. It follows, somewhat naturally, Harbaugh’s constant mantra of hard work and having a blue-collar mentality.
He’ll be joined by five Michigan football players, though they have not yet been disclosed. Given the timing, it appears that they will not partake in the end of the Wolverines’ spring trip, which is expected to culminate around that time.
For more details, you can read more via the press release, below.
Full release
Wolverine, the 140-year-old boot and clothing company, is continuing its partnership with SkillsUSA through their participation in National Signing Day on May 4, 2023. As part of their support of the program, the Wolverine brand is bringing renowned coach and current head football coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh, to speak to students and inspire them with the same work ethic he is known to instill in his players. Harbaugh, alongside five University of Michigan football players, will attend the annual Signing Day event at the Bay Arenac ISD Career Center in Bay City, Michigan.
SkillsUSA National Signing Day is designed to support thousands of high school students across the nation as they sign their letter of intent, committing to further their education with a trade program in residential wiring, building trades and renovations, HVAC or plumbing, and more. In 2022, over 1,000 students in 33 states participated in Signing Day.
“I’m proud to be a part of this impactful event with the Wolverine brand to celebrate these students in the same way that student-athletes are celebrated for committing to a 4-year university,” said Coach Jim Harbaugh.
With only 9 percent of high school students pursuing careers in the trades, skilled labor is in short supply. In 2014, Wolverine Boots assembled a team to champion these important jobs and started Project Bootstrap to celebrate and support those choosing to go into the skilled trades. As an official sponsor of SkillsUSA National Signing Day, Wolverine will be donating $75,000 to the SkillsUSA Hope Fund on this day. This contribution will reward SkillsUSA Signing Day students through financial support that will enable them to attend the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference.
“The partnership with Wolverine and the Michigan Wolverines began because of our shared values around hard work, dedication, and grit,” said Scott Schoessel, VP of Marketing at Wolverine. “Coach Harbaugh’s involvement at SkillsUSA Signing Day will amplify our partnership as his attendance will surely inspire and infuse confidence to students across the nation as they embark on their career in the skilled trades.”
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. For more information on SkillsUSA National Signing Day, visit www.skillsusa.org. For more information on Wolverine and their dedication to the skilled trades industry, visit Wolverine.com.
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