GEORGETOWN, KY—Toyota Motor Co.’s flagship assembly plant here recently unveiled several workforce readiness initiatives. The goal is to develop future talent and upskill current assemblers who build popular vehicles such as the Toyota Camry and RAV4.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky is the automaker’s largest vehicle plant in the world and employees nearly 10,000 people.
“Our most valuable assets are our team members—they are our heart,” says Kerry Creech, president of Toyota Kentucky. “That’s why we continuously invest time and resources into developing our people and providing students with strong career pathways for our future.”
As part of that effort, the facility is working with Scott County Schools and investing up to $1 million to launch and sustain the 4T Academy (Team, Teach, Together, Toyota), a hands-on training program that will provide high school juniors and seniors with a direct pathway to a manufacturing career.
Students in the program will follow a state-approved curriculum in traditional high school classes, while learning and training in a simulated factory environment. 4T Academy will house a collaborative classroom space, electric and pneumatic tool training stations, a simulated vehicle production line and many other high-tech components. Seniors enrolled in 4T Academy will earn around $18 an hour while working alongside industry experts at Toyota's assembly plant.
Toyota Kentucky also recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Driving Possibilities program in partnership with schools in Fayette and Scott Counties. As a next step in its strategic plan, Toyota is providing 10 Sienna vehicles to local schools to help meet student transportation challenges.
Driving Possibilities focuses on ways to expand literacy and language resources, build education and industry partnerships, and address transportation barriers. The career readiness initiative aims to close educational gaps through hands-on science, technology, engineering and math programming, while addressing the essential needs of students and families.
In addition to developing its future workforce, Toyota Kentucky continues to invest heavily in its current employees. For instance, it is opening a new 20,000-square-foot, $3 million onsite training center that will enable assemblers to learn about new technologies and advanced manufacturing processes.
