Toyota kicks off school scholarship program

WITH the closure of its national sales and marketing facility in Caringbah, New South Wales around the corner, Toyota Australia has dedicated sixteen scholarships to local children in an effort to give back to the community.

The Toyota Australia Scholarships program aims to give sixteen young people living in the Sutherland Shire opportunities in a variety of careers including medicine, child care, science and visual arts.

Concerning students enrolled in a secondary, combined or special school, the scholarship has been organised in conjunction with Schools Plus, a non-profit organisation that connects donors with disadvantaged schools.

As well as providing scholarships to students, Toyota will also hand out grants to five schools in the Sutherland Shire area, consisting of Endeavour Sports High School, Dunlea Centre, Bates Drive School, Cook School and Minerva School.

Schools Plus CEO Rosemary Conn said the scholarship program was vital in the promotion of high-class education.

“Joining forces with corporates like Toyota Australia who generously support local schools and students, is absolutely necessary for ensuring the next generation receives a quality education,” she said.

The grants and scholarships will continue for the next three years starting on January 1 in an effort to ensure a positive impact on the community after Toyota leaves the area.

Previously employing 360 people at the Caringbah site, Toyota will retain only around 80 personnel, resulting in 77 per cent of the work force being made redundant.

The rest of the staff will be relocated to Toyota’s site in Port Melbourne as part of its shift to a national sales and distribution company.

Overall, Toyota Australia’s staff numbers have dropped from 3900 in 2014 when the decision to cease local manufacturing was made, to 1300 as of the start of next year.

Last month, the Japanese manufacturer donated four of its last locally manufactured Camrys to community groups based near its Altona manufacturing facility.

In a similar move to the scholarships, the Camry donations were aimed to give back to the communities around which Toyota has conducted its business for decades.

Toyota’s official change to an import business commences on January 1.