Cypress College’s Automotive Technology Program Named Toyota’s Top T-TEN School in the U.S.
Cypress College’s Automotive Technology Program swept the recent Toyota Technician Training & Education Network (T-TEN) awards — including being named the #1 T-TEN program in the nation. The announcements came at the recent Toyota Technician Training & Education Network (T-TEN) awards held at Lakes Community College in Laconia, New Hampshire.
“I am proud and deeply appreciative of the standard set and maintained by our Automotive Technology Program,” said Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D. “The department is constantly searching for ways to set the bar higher and provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Being recognized in this way shows the hard work and dedication of our students and staff to this lucrative field.”
Cypress College was the recipient of three awards:
- T-TEN ASE Award for the highest per student pass rate, 6.4 of 8, of available Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification tests;
- T-TEN Techstream Award — presented to only two, two-year colleges — for graduating 15 or more students this past year; and
- T-TEN Top School Award, given to the school with the most graduating students and highest ASE pass rate in 2019.
The T-TEN awards recognized certified programs that have excelled and met the standards set by Toyota.
In recognition of these accomplishments, Cypress College’s Automotive Technology Program will receive four new Techstream scan tools, valued at $8,000. These four Techstream scanners will join the two Techstream tools acquired by the program in 2019 and will improve student access during practice lab on-vehicle diagnosis.
“This past May, we were able to graduate 17 students, which was the highest number of graduates of all 38 T-TEN programs across the United States,” Dr. Schilling said. “Eight of those graduates received all eight available ASEs. Our program is focused on ensuring students earn a livable wage after completing the program. Students with all eight certifications are valuable employees to dealerships and can perform almost all available warranty and recall work. These students are poised to earn over $60,000 within the first 18 months of employment, and over $75,000 within three years.”
The Toyota T-TEN program at Cypress College is a cooperative, two-year training program designed to enhance the technical and professional competency of Toyota and Lexus dealership technicians. Students participate in classroom and laboratory sessions using current Toyota and Lexus vehicles and components to receive valuable work experience at a Toyota and Lexus dealership. Cypress College’s program has been part of the T-TEN family of schools since 1990 and begins a new cohort every summer.
Cypress College students typically receive over 1,000 hours of internship during the 63 units of coursework needed to complete the program and graduates have received positions as shop foreman, service managers at local and regional offices, as well as returned to Cypress College to teach part-time in the college’s general automotive program. All instructors in Cypress College’s National Automobile Technician Education Foundation (NATEF)-certified program are National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Master Technician Certified.
About Toyota T-TEN
Toyota’s Technician Training & Education Network (T-TEN) is a partnership between Toyota, community colleges, vocational schools and Toyota and Lexus dealerships to develop and place thousands of factory certified technicians in challenging, rewarding and well-paid positions in over 1,400+ Toyota and Lexus dealerships across the country. The T-TEN program provides state-of-the art, hands-on automotive diagnosis and repair education and training in classroom and dealership settings. Since its inception in 1986, T-TEN has been considered as the auto manufacturers’ benchmark for technician career-entry programs, with over 10,000 students that have completed the program and received Toyota factory Certification. Each year 9 out of 10 T-TEN graduates are hired by a Toyota or Lexus dealer.
About Cypress College:
Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.
Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.
Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 115-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.
Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.
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