Toyota Motor : EC3, Swope Toyota partner on automotive training program

Students in the automotive technology program at Hardin County Schools' Early College and Career Center learned Wednesday about the latest safety features in new Toyota vehicles.

Cole Miller, service director for Swope Toyota, said the presentation was a way to bring technology training to EC3 and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, two programs the dealership collaborates with.

"We are working with EC3 and ECTC to expose would-be technicians to what we need," he said. "(We want to) grow our own technicians."

Miller was assisted Wednesday by Johnny Holton, a field technical specialist from Toyota Motor Corp.'s Cincinnati office.

Tom Pitt, an instructor in the EC3 pathway, said this was the first time Toyota Corporate has come to campus.

He said the training helped not only the students but also instructors.

"This a big deal," he said. "This is where cars are going."

Miller said demand for skilled technicians is high. The presentation was a way to introduce students to what they'll see in a Toyota shop.

"We wanted to expose them to the latest and greatest (technology)," he said.

Holton gave the presentation and focused on Toyota Safety Sense, a package of safety features standard in all new vehicles. The safety technology uses a camera and radar to detect pedestrians, lane departures and other vehicles.

Miller said Holton's presentation was a condensed version of training Toyota technicians receive when they are hired. He said technicians usually have a class over two to three days to learn about Toyota vehicles and technology.

Miller and Holton brought a 2018 Toyota RAV4 to show students, who could look into the engine and peaked inside the vehicle.

Miller said the RAV4 has eight onboard computers. Technicians of today and the future need more than a toolbox, he said.

He told students he's looking for technicians who can analyze the car's data, communicate it to company engineers and then repair the vehicle.

Miller also encouraged students to look at ECTC to further their education.

He said when he has an open position, his first phone call is to the college.

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