Toyota Motor Corporation announced on the 5th that it has opened the ‘Toyota Training Academy’, an educational and practical space aimed at nurturing future mobility talent.
Located in the Bojeong-dong area of Giheung-gu, Yongin, the Toyota Training Academy spans a total floor area of 1,507㎡ (land area of 1,916㎡) and features four stories. This comprehensive training center was established to cultivate future talent necessary for Toyota’s transformation into a mobility company. It has been rebranded from the previous ‘Toyota Training Center’ which was established 18 years ago in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.
At the Toyota Training Academy, common training for all Lexus and Toyota dealers and Toyota employees in Korea will be provided, along with theoretical and practical courses specialized for each department, such as service and sales, integrated with the latest technologies. Additionally, it will serve as a brand experience space for Toyota and also aims to be a venue for practicing carbon neutrality and contributing to the local community.
Unlike the training centers of general automotive brands that primarily focus on service training for dealer employees, the Toyota Training Academy provides comprehensive educational content covering the entire process from service to sales, based on Toyota’s management philosophy, the Toyota Production System (TPS).
Sales professionals will receive training on vehicle demonstrations and test drives, as well as customer satisfaction (CS) management, and customer vehicle management. For the service sector, training will include processes for regular inspections, customer interaction techniques, as well as knowledge of general maintenance and parts, supplemented by education on value chains and body painting (BP). Moreover, practical training on Toyota’s problem-solving approach, called Toyota Business Practice (TBP), will also be conducted.
The Toyota Training Academy offers opportunities for brand experiences. Elements of the brand are incorporated into space design, featuring concepts like ‘Making ever better cars’ through motorsports, ‘Nurturing automotive talent’, and the newly announced Toyota’s new system theme of ‘Succession and Evolution’ from last year.
To promote the value of carbon neutrality, upcycled items made from recycled vehicle parts, such as tables, clocks, and vases, are displayed throughout the building’s interior and exterior. Additionally, training equipment using only water and air, instead of actual paint, has been introduced to ensure no pollutants are produced during painting practice.
On the 4th, the opening ceremony for the Toyota Training Academy was attended by Manabu Konyama, CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation Korea, along with Mitsuhiro Amo, head of the East Asia and Oceania division from Toyota Motor Corporation Japan, and Hisaaki Suzuki, service department head, as well as presidents of Lexus and Toyota dealer groups who graced the occasion.
CEO Manabu Konyama stated, “The Toyota Training Academy will be used not only for technical training previously conducted at the old training center but also as a place for education and talent development to maximize happiness for each and every customer and prepare for the future”. He further mentioned, “It will serve as a brand space themed around motorsports activities for making better cars and the transition towards becoming a mobility company with the essence of Toyota.”
He added,