6 CVCC students complete Toyota TECS Elite certification
Catawba Valley Community College recently celebrated its first graduation class for the Toyota Technical Education College Support (TECS) Elite program.
04/13/2022
This first Toyota TECS Elite program class at CVCC was completed on March 14 with six students earning the certification, which is the first step in helping to build a career as a Toyota Technician.
“The program is a great opportunity for these students to experience Toyota manufacturer training through the combination of the web-based courses and instructor led class,” said Bryan Blackwelder, CVCC Automotive Systems Technology instructor.
Catawba Valley Community College students completing this certification included Jonathan Aubin, Anthony Cortez, David Huffman, Miguel Lopez, Jonathon Wallace and Emma Wilson.
“The inaugural graduates in the Toyota TECS Elite program are eager and excited to use the knowledge gained from the classroom in their future career endeavors,” said Aden Cranford, CVCC’s Dean of Career and Technical Education. “This partnership is forwarding our mission of creating highly-skilled workers who will make a positive impact in our community.”
The Toyota TECS Elite program is a maintenance and light repair course utilizing Toyota specific resources for service information, parts and procedures to be performed specifically on Toyota vehicles.
“TECS Elite is an excellent opportunity for our students but it also provides a valuable technician resource for the Toyota dealers who hire them, and it is also beneficial to the customers whose vehicles they service,” said Shawn Mull, department head for CVCC Automotive Systems Technology.
Students have access to the same Toyota information as Technicians employed at a Toyota or Lexus dealer. The course is designed specifically to familiarize students with the Toyota way of doing things to jump start their career.
"We are so excited for the recent CVCC graduates and wish them the best of luck as the begin their careers in the automotive industry,” said Mike Newsome, director of Technical Operations, Southeast Toyota Distributors. “As a longtime partner of both Toyota and the Catawba Valley Community College, we are thrilled to see the new Toyota TECS Elite program come to fruition. We look forward to growing this relationship which will create wonderful opportunities for the students, while also supporting our local Toyota dealers who are always looking for skilled talent.”
Following completion of the Toyota TECS Elite program, these new factory-certified technicians are ready to enter the workforce, earning high paying careers in the automotive industry, including Toyota and Lexus dealerships nationwide.
“Our college is proud to partner with Toyota to provide high quality graduates for the region’s workforce,” said Catawba Valley Community College President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw.
By being a TECS Elite partner, Toyota is supplying Catawba Valley Community College with Toyota vehicles that will be used by CVCC Automotive Systems Technology students and instructors.
"We are very proud of the partnership we have built with Toyota,” said Gary Muller, Executive Dean of Economic Development and Corporate Education. “The TECS Elite program is the first of many others we hope to add to our Automotive program to supplement our excellent existing programs."
For more information on the Automotive Systems program at Catawba Valley Community College, please visit https://bit.ly/3uzaUkP.
About Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC
Southeast Toyota Distributors is the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas. The company distributes vehicles, parts and accessories to 177 Toyota dealerships in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. Dealers in this region sell approximately 20% of all Toyotas sold in the country. Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida, its vehicle processing facilities are located in Jacksonville, Florida and Commerce, Georgia.
Southeast Toyota Distributors is a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a privately held company with $18 billion in revenue and more than 4,500 associates. JM Family has earned various awards for its culture, products and services, including 23 consecutive years on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Interact with JM Family on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Catawba Valley Community College
Catawba Valley Community College is a finalist in 2021 for the prestigious Bellwether and Aspen Prize awards. CVCC provides a true collegiate atmosphere for its approximately 5,000 students in curriculum and another 9,000 through workforce continued education programs. Serving students from counties across the region, Catawba Valley Community College was ranked as one of the top 10 Best Community Colleges in the United States in a list released by SmartAsset in 2021. CVCC currently offers 57 associate degree programs of study in Arts, Business, Computer Information, Education, Engineering Technology, Health Services, Horticulture, Industrial Technology and Public Services as well as nine college transfer programs. Learn about CVCC Programs of Study.
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