GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Toyota Kentucky continues to recruit and invest in team members at its Georgetown plant. 

What You Need To Know

  • Toyota Kentucky and Scott County Schools are partnering for a work-readiness program 

  • High school juniors and seniors will split time between the classroom and Toyota's Georgetown plant 

  • Students will earn $18 an hour while working at the plant 

  • Toyota also announced a $3 million training center for current employees

It’s all systems go for Toyota’s 4T Academy: Team, Teach, Together, Toyota. It’s a partnership between Toyota Kentucky and Scott County Schools.

Billy Parker, Scott County Schools superintendent, said the program is open to juniors and seniors.

"(The) first year of the program, they’ll do more ... in the classroom," Parker said. "But the second year, it will transition to where they’re almost fully here on Toyota’s campus, performing work and getting paid."

Students will earn $18 an hour while working at Toyota and have a direct pathway to a manufacturing career.

“Toyota has an abundance of opportunities," Parker said. "It was amazing to me to find all the opportunities that exist for anyone that wants to work at Toyota. It’s more than just an assembly line, and I think this will be a good opportunity for our students to see that."

Kerry Creech, president of Toyota Kentucky, said the top priority for Kentucky manufacturers is workforce hiring and development.

“It’s not only important for Toyota; it’s important for all manufacturers in the state," Creech said. "I think everybody is trying to (find) what is the best way to develop our teams and our team members for the technology that we’re seeing today."

Students will split their time between school and the Toyota plant, getting hands-on experience.

“You take this subjective learning from a book, and you apply it to an objective of learning on the line; I think that connection makes it extremely important for students," Creech said. “Some people read a book, understand it (and get) it. But other people are more hands-on, and it takes them a while to understand it and be able to apply it.”

The initial class is capped at 25 students, with 22 already enrolled. Creech added he thinks it will be increased as time goes on.

4T Academy launches this fall in Scott County Schools.

Toyota also announced July 29 a new $3 million training center. It gives current employees a place to learn new technology and advanced manufacturing processes.

Related Stories