Photo: Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Alabama donated 45 V-6 engines produced at the Huntsville plant to tech schools in six counties. Shown here are Toyota Alabama President Jim Bolte and school representatives from Madison, Limestone, Morgan, Marshall, DeKalb and Cullman counties. (Business Council of Alabama)
CULLMAN – On April 14, during the quarterly meeting of the Northeast Alabama Development Council, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama announced that it would be donating 45 V-6 engines to seven north Alabama schools in six counties. Toyota Alabama President Jim Bolte delivered the news that the engines will be going to schools in Cullman, DeKalb, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan Counties. On the receiving end in Cullman County is the Cullman Area Technology Academy.
“CATA will be receiving one V-6 engine from the Toyota Engine plant in Huntsville,” said principal Billy Troutman. “Toyota offered the engines as a chance to help provide secondary institutions current technology for students to build capacity in preparation for entering the workforce. I am scheduling the pick-up time for a day within the next couple of weeks. The engine will be used in our Automotive Service Technology program for students to learn diagnostics, theory, parts, disassembly and assembly, and a variety of other hands-on lessons.”
Troutman said that in manufacturing processes, especially when it comes to automotive manufacturing, the technology is becoming increasingly more advanced. Mechanics and other technicians need to be able to work with the computer technology and diagnostics necessary to build, maintain and repair the latest automotive engines.
That’s why Toyota’s donation is so important. The engine that CATA is receiving is brand new, featuring the latest technology.
"These are very high-tech engines built in a high-tech plant," said Bolte, in a statement to WHNT. "I think, the more we can get students interested in advanced manufacturing and some of the new technologies that are coming out, in terms of emissions and fuel economy and different things, they're going to love it. They're going to be ready to land a job somewhere."
The hope is that automotive technology students in north Alabama will graduate ready to go into high-tech automotive jobs in the area.
"We've expanded about 4-5 times, and every time we've added about 200-300 jobs," said Bolte. "We've had over 10,000 applications. Any advantage these students get in working on these engines to better prepare them to be selected in the future is going to be a real advantage for them."
The Cullman Area Technology Academy is located at 17640 Highway 31 N in Cullman. It is a part of the Cullman County Schools system.
