Two articles regarding Toyota:
Toyota President and CEO Supports CTE as Resource for Employment Opportunities
In order to rise above the competition in an economy that places a premium on employees who have both hands-on training and education, students should highly consider Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, says Jim Lentz, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA.
In a new Friends of CTE blog, Lentz describes how Toyota and the overall auto industry will need educated and skilled employees over the next four years to work 150,000 new jobs. Those employees will work with complex technologies and electronics, and must have the knowledge to evolve with the industry.
“Plain and simple, one of the best ways to stand out is to get great hands-on training and education — everything that Career Technical Education provides,” Lentz said. Companies today are seeking associates who have three key ingredients: Knowledge, training and passion. You’ll find individuals who possess these traits at CTE.”
Toyota has a long history of supporting CTE programs. The company has directly supported college automotive programs through its Technician Training and Education Network (T-TEN) for a quarter century. Further, for more than a decade, Toyota has joined with other automakers to support high school programs through Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES).
The Friends of CTE Blog is a monthly guest blog piece that provides advocates – from business and industry, the research community and organizations – an opportunity to articulate their support for CTE.
Toyota Gives $1.5 Million Grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs
Toyota is giving a $1.5 million grant to longtime out-of-school provider the Boys & Girls Clubs to launch a nationwide effort to prep teenagers for college.
D2D, or Diplomas to Degrees, is a college-readiness initiative that was piloted in Boys & Girls Clubs in 10 cities this past year, but will now be scaled up in more than 1,000 clubs across the country with the support of the grant, according to a recent announcement.The initiative focuses on exploration of both college and careers through mentorships, internships, visits to higher education institutions, and lessons on how to obtain financial assistance to attend college.
“Our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs is an extension of our focus on education; a key component of the new D2D program is engaging our associates to volunteer as mentors and college coaches through their local clubs,” said Mike Groff, Toyota’s vice president of sales, marketing, and product planning in a press release. “The ultimate goal of this program is to increase the number of youth who graduate from high school and enroll in a college, university, or other postsecondary institution.”
According to the statement, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs across the U.S. since 1991 and provided an additional $1 million in academic scholarships to Boys & Girls Club alumni and staff. The clubs serve around 4 million children in 4,000 sites nationally.
