Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama partners with Chambers County School District
HMMA or Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama visited the career technical campus at Inspire Academy on Friday morning to make a special donation to the Chambers County School District. HMMA made the donation of a pre-production Hyundai Santa Cruz vehicle for the purpose of supporting the Modern Manufacturing Program on the campus of Inspire Academy.
Ms. Krista Hawkins with HMMA noted how leadership wants to help provide local students with a glimpse into the variety of career pathways they can consider related to the wide number of job opportunities in Alabama’s automotive sector. The numerous employment opportunities available for graduates of the Modern Manufacturing Program range from parts suppliers to warehouse distribution to vehicle assembly at the HMMA plant.
The HMMA outreach to the Chambers County School District will allow students to learn firsthand about the modern technology that is commonplace in today’s automotive industry. The Santa Crus sport adventure vehicle is an Alabama original for the Hyundai brand and the model provided to Inspire Academy is a pre-production color of glowing yellow. Although students will be unable to drive the vehicle, it will provide their modern manufacturing teachers the opportunity to have their students practice automotive assembly gaining hands-on practice with real-world products. One goal for the partnership with HMMA and the CCSD is to help “steer” students to a career at HMMA or one of the other automotive companies that help bring vehicles to life here in Alabama. HMMA representatives noted that they welcomed job applications from any seniors graduating from the Modern Manufacturing Program at Inspire Academy.
Additionally, representatives from Central Alabama Works were on hand to help celebrate the occasion.
Central Alabama Works leadership highlighted the new Modern Manufacturing Program at the CCSD’s Inspire Academy noting the increased need for a skilled manufacturing workforce. The new program prepares students for entry-level manufacturing for Alabama’s automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEM). The participants are learning basic employability skills, safety, technical skills, and manufacturing principles needed to be successful in today’s environment. The leadership noted how Alabama will soon be the second most auto-producing state in the country behind Michigan.
Central Alabama Works leadership pointed to the Modern Manufacturing Pilot Program at Inspire Academy as one that blends the classroom skills needed for success with input from automotive leaders to ensure that students have the right training, expectations, and ability to be successful in the workplace according to Central Alabama Works Executive Director, Cindi Prutzman.
Chambers County Superintendent, Casey Chambley was super excited about the partnership with Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. He thanked everyone that worked so hard to make it possible to provide this donation for the students and teachers at Inspire Academy. He noted that “The Chambers County School District is open for business with companies that want to invest in the education of our students.” Chambley added, “It’s another great way to provide career opportunities for our students for their future employment! Inspire Academy Principal, Dr. Tyler Nelson was equally elated with the donation noting how much the vehicle would benefit the school’s advanced manufacturing program.
Dr. Nelson added, “that it would be used as a tool to engage students about the world of modern manufacturing providing links for students to career pathways from their classroom experiences.”
Looking at the picture of the people with the Hyundai Santa Cruz shown below from left to right are:
Stinson Kennedy, Project Manager for AIDT, Krista Hawkins, HMMA Assistant Manager of Community Relations/CSR, Seth Stehouwer, Inspire Academy Teacher, Gindi Prutzman, Executive Director of Central Alabama Works, David Niesen, Modern Manufacturing Project Manager at Central Alabama Works Joe Blanks, Dr. Tyler Nelson, Principal at Inspire Academy, Daniel Smith, Teacher at Inspire Academy, Casey Chambley, Superintendent of Schools for the Chambers County School District, Debra Riley, Chambers County Commission Chairman, Ansley Emfinger, Project Manager, Chambers County Development Authority, and Louis Davidson, City of LaFayette City Clerk.