OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (Sept. 28, 2022) — Oklahoma City Community College is partnering with Gulf States Toyota to offer the Toyota Education College Support (TECS) program to its students. The program will provide a direct solution to the shortage of qualified technicians in the automotive industry.

“Partnerships like this one are key to our students’ success,” said Dr. Mautra Staley Jones, OCCC President. “OCCC is working to meet the needs of Oklahoma employers, and we’re honored that Gulf States Toyota can help us equip our students to be ready to enter the workforce upon graduation.”

Gulf States Toyota is one of the world’s largest independent distributors of Toyota vehicles and parts, serving more than 150 dealerships in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Students in OCCC’s Automotive Internship Program will work on Toyota components and complete specific training modules above and beyond the standard degree program.

“Cars are getting more complicated, there’s no doubt about it,” said Brad Walker, Director of OCCC’s Automotive Technology Department. “Today’s – and certainly tomorrow’s – automotive technicians are so much more than just ‘mechanics,’ they are computer technicians as well.”

Graduates of the TECS program will become Toyota Maintenance-Level Certified Technicians, giving them a direct line into employment at Toyota dealerships and specialty shops.

For more information on the program or to enroll, contact Brad Walker at bwalker@occc.edu or 405.682.1611, extension 7128.