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Need a Good Mechanic in Baltimore County? Toyota Wants to Help.

Community College of Baltimore County Recognized for Automotive Industry Acumen

CATONSVILLE, Md, Oct. 2 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. has honored the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in Catonsville, Maryland for applying innovative automotive training techniques aimed at narrowing the gap between the supply and demand for skilled automotive technicians in today's workforce.

Toyota's Technical Education Network (T-TEN) recognized CCBC Dean of Applied Information Technology Michael Netzer and T-TEN Director Steve Ingham for implementing an accelerated training course that will provide technicians to surrounding Toyota and Lexus dealerships.

Established in 1986, T-TEN is a partnership between TMS and 51 colleges nationwide that trains automotive service and collision repair technicians in a comprehensive college-accredited and National Automotive Technician Education Foundation-certified program. The curriculum features classroom study, hands-on learning and internships at Toyota and Lexus dealerships.

"This is Toyota's opportunity to recognize T-TEN school partners who embrace Toyota's spirit of continuous improvement for technician recruitment and development. Each of the schools being recognized has exceeded our expectations to meet the needs of Toyota and Lexus dealerships," said Dave Camden, TMS vice president of dealer operations, Toyota customer services.

The award ceremony, which connected key educators, college administrators and Toyota representatives, provided a forum to share strategies and recognize collaborative efforts to fulfill local automotive business needs. A total of five schools were recognized at the awards ceremony in Carmel, California.

"The key to success for a T-TEN school is to have a clear understanding of the current and future needs in the automotive industry, and build solid relationships with their local Toyota & Lexus dealerships," said Bruce Ertmann, TMS corporate dealer development & field operations manager, who presented the awards.

Along with the Community College of Baltimore County - Catonsville, the schools recognized for their 2003 T-TEN program are: Atlantic Technical Center in Coconut Creek, Florida; Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas; Ventura College, Ventura, California, and Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY.

Since 1986 T-TEN has educated over 3,900 students. The program provides students an opportunity to learn Toyota- and Lexus-approved automotive diagnosis and repair, while completing their post-secondary education. In addition to providing technical training, many T-TEN schools model the automotive dealership workplace, enabling a smooth transition from school to work for hundreds of graduates annually.

T-TEN training is available in 51 select community and technical colleges nationwide. For more information about the T-TEN Program in your area, call 1-800-441-5141.

Established in 1957, TMS is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer services arm of Toyota in the United States.