Students and faculty from Toyota’s Technician Training & Education Network (T-TEN) program are celebrating Toyota’s recent donation of four new Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
The newest vehicle additions (from L to R) include a:
- 2015 Toyota Sequoia 4WD;
- 2007 Tundra 4WD w/ TRD Supercharger option;
- 2013 Lexus GS350 RWD; and
- 2014 Lexus IS250F.
Earlier this year, Toyota also supplied the College with a:
- 2014 Toyota Highlander AWD;
- 2014 Toyota Camry;
- 2008 Sequoia 4WD; and
- 2011 Lexus LX57.
The total donation is valued at approximately $232,000.
However, according to T-TEN Instructor Lee Frisvold, these cars don’t stay pristine for very long; almost immediately after they arrive on Dunwoody’s lot, they are taken apart for training purposes.
Donated cars help Dunwoody students prepare for their career
“We try to make the program as real-world as possible,” said Frisvold. “So we take the donated cars and we put faults in them. Those faults are usually based on whatever is being taught in the class at that time. The students are then expected to be able to diagnose the faults—whether they are electrical issues, such as the car not starting, or problems with the car’s transmission—and then fix them, just as they would while working at a dealership.”
Frisvold says that because cars can only be disassembled and reassembled so many times, Toyota tries to replenish T-TEN’s fleet—in total—every four to five years. This also allows the students to keep up with the latest technologies and newest models.
Learn about the unique features of some of the vehicles by viewing the photo gallery below!
“Students also become very familiar with Toyota and Lexus cars before they start working at a dealership,” Frisvold said. “This makes them much more confident in diagnosing and talking with customers.”
Dunwoody and Toyota’s partnership continues to thrive
Dunwoody’s partnership with Toyota began around 14 years ago, and since then has produced nearly 100 successful graduates– with a majority of them still working at the dealership they interned at.
“Having a partnership with a top manufacturer that cares about the education of future technicians is very important to Dunwoody,” Frisvold said. “Toyota has helped us in so many ways, whether it’s through donated cars and tools or simply by creating a sense of a T-TEN community. To this day, they continue to help us keep on the cutting edge of instructional techniques and lab sheet design.”
Learn more about Dunwoody’s T-TEN Program.
