Automotive students will have the opportunity next year to enroll in the T-10 TSTC program with Toyota. A new Toyota dealership is opening in Cedar Park, and they have agreed to make a partnership with our automotive program.

“We have always had close ties to Toyota through TSTC in Waco,” automotive teacher Jeff Milam said. “But now we have a more direct connection through a local dealership.”

Toyota has previously sponsored the Skills USA District contest at the TSTC Waco campus. The program is called T-10, and it’s a work program where attend school in Waco for eight weeks and then work in a Toyota dealership for eight weeks.

“RHS graduates now have a sponsoring dealership right in our neighborhood,” Milam said. “With a connection to Cedar Park Toyota, Rouse Automotive will definitely have a closer partnership with Toyota, and a connection with a local business leader.”

At the completion of the program, students are considered a certified Toyota Technician and receive and Associate Degree. They can then choose to continue at that dealership or transfer to another one.

“The most important part of this partnership is what it does for RHS students,” Milam said. “We already have one student employed at Cedar Park Toyota, and we have a senior who is enrolling in the T-10 program at TSTC, and will be using Cedar Park as his sponsoring dealership.”

In some cases, the dealership will agree to reimburse the student for their education after they have worked there a predetermined amount of time.

“Very few other career options will offer you an immediate job while you got to school, and reimburse you for your education,” Milam said. “We have been told that they will be very committed to hiring our Automotive students, even while they are in high school.”

Toyota will also be donating products to the Rouse program in the future. This will include parts, training aids and possibly vehicles.

“As in most growing communities such as Leander, we will probably see more dealerships coming to our area now that Cedar Park Toyota is here,” Milam said. “That means more and more opportunities for our students to use their training in the automotive industry and stay in this area.”