Toyota Mississippi helps teach life skills to High School students
Toyota team members make a mobile tire changing station for the high school
SHANNON, MISS. (WCBI) – Shannon High School Career Coach Dee Coleman was looking for a better way to teach life skills to students, so he asked a friend at Toyota Mississippi if team members at the Blue Springs plant could come up with a tire changing teaching tool.
“At first I thought, this is going to be hard, I never seen anything like this but with the guys I have, it was easy, told them what I wanted and I think it is fantastic,” said Chip Ausbern, who is production control Karakuri Group Leader. That department takes ideas from Toyota team members, and helps make them a reality. It all goes back to the Toyota principle of Kaizen, a Japanese term for continuous improvement. It was also an opportunity to showcase the team aspect known as the Toyota Way.
“This is hopefully some of our next generation of Toyota manufacturer workers here today, hope they like what they saw and hope they give Toyota a chance,” Ausbern said.
Toyota also made a $2,500 donation to Shannon High School.
Students said it is important to know basic skills, like how to change a tire and they appreciate Toyota for giving back to the community.
“I’m glad they came out here to help kids who don’t know how to change a tire learn how to change a tire,” said Shannon High School Senior Leanday Griffin.
“You never know when you will get a flat, blow out, it is important to have that life skill , how to change a tire, could be in middle of nowhere, everyone should know how to do it,” said Shannon High School Junior Jackson Loving.
Shannon high school students will have the chance to tour the Blue Springs plant next month, where they will see first hand the principles of continuous improvement and the Toyota Way, put into practice.
Toyota Mississippi works with career coaches in schools throughout Pontotoc, Lee and Union counties.
