Yokohama Highlights Maintenance Apprenticeship Program
Key Highlights
- Yokohama's Maintenance Apprenticeship Program is a partnership with East Mississippi Community College and was launched in 2024 at the YTMM facility in Mississippi.
- Employees gain hands-on experience and classroom education while working toward an associate degree and earning a salary.
- The initiative aims to develop internal talent, reduce reliance on external hiring and strengthen the local workforce.
Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. is strengthening its Maintenance Apprenticeship Program to serve as a learning hub for its employees.
The program, conducted at the Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi (YTMM) facility in West Point, Miss., was implemented in 2024 and is in partnership with East Mississippi Community College. It was designed to help develop more skilled trade workers at YTMM, according to Philip Calhoun, YTMM’s general manager and vice president of operations.
“At Yokohama, employees are our most valuable asset,” says Calhoun. “Helping employees with hands-on experience to hone their skills or learn new ones paves the way for career advancement. It’s a fantastic opportunity for them and the company.”
The program, a mix of on-site training and classroom education, allows employees to work toward an associate degree while gaining experience on the job. The goal is to create a direct pathway into maintenance and other technical roles at YTMM.
According to Calhoun, Yokohama covers the total cost of the program and any necessary materials.
While employees in the program begin on the production floor before moving into more technical roles, the company says they are offered new opportunities to build specialized skills based on their career aspirations.
“It’s a win-win for Yokohama and our area,” says Michael Busby, vice president of career technical and workforce education at East Mississippi Community College. “They’re coming to school, still employed, and giving back to the industry.”
Calhoun says the program has been a success, with several employees preparing to graduate in the near future.
“The program has helped build confidence and develop skills that extend beyond the workplace," says Calhoun. "It’s part of our long-term workforce strategy focused on developing talent internally. If you can’t find the talent, then you have to develop your own people. And that’s what we are doing.”