Today, the automotive company announced that it has committed to investing $100M and adding 300 jobs by the end of 2016 at it’s Indiana manufacturing facility.

Toyota Indiana is the sole producer of the Toyota Highlander in North America. Highlander sales in North America have increased 16% over the January to July period last year. As a result, Toyota will begin producing up to 30,000 Highlanders to meet the demand. The Indiana plant manufactures Highlanders for North America as well as for export to Australia, New Zealand and Eastern Europe; the Sienna minivan for North America, South Korea, Pacific islands, and other countries; and, the Sequoia full-size SUV for North America and export to the Middle East.

On Monday, it was announced that Toyota West Virginia, a factory that assembles four-cylinder and V-6 engines and automatic transmissions for nine of twelve Toyota vehicles produced in North America, has pledged $1M to the newly formed BridgeValley Community and Technical College—formed with the merging of Bridgemont and Kanawha Valley Colleges—and their Advanced Technology Center. In kind used equipment donations bring the total to be donated to over $1.2M.

Toyota and BridgeValley are already partners in the two-year Advanced Manufacturing Technician degree program, a curriculum designed by Toyota to deliver education and experience to students in multiple areas needed by manufacturers.

With these two commitments, it is clear that Toyota not only is committed to long term employment of Americans but also to the education of future American employees.

image courtesy of Toyota