Learn on Toyotas. Get Certified by Toyota. Graduate Ready to Work.

If you're into cars, you already know there's a difference between knowing your way around an engine and actually being able to prove it. And there's another level beyond that: working on real Toyota vehicles, using the exact dealership-grade tools that pros use every single day.

That last one? That's what SCC students get.

Here's the wild part. SCC is the only community college in the entire Midwest, and one of just a handful in the country, with a formal partnership with Toyota. Not a branding arrangement. Not a logo on a wall. A fully integrated training program that drops students right into the middle of one of the most respected automotive programs in the region.

What the Partnership Actually Looks Like

Toyota hasn't just slapped their name on the program. They've donated over a quarter-million dollars in vehicles and equipment to SCC's auto programs. We're talking:

• Two Corollas

• Two Tacomas

• A Camry Hybrid

• Ten engines

• Alignment machines

• Full access to Toyota service manuals and reference materials

And the tools? Laser measuring systems, diagnostic computers, finishing application equipment. All provided by Toyota, all at no cost to SCC.

As auto collision and refinishing instructor Randy Wachter put it: "Students aren't just learning to work on a Toyota. They're learning to use the same dealership-grade diagnostic tools, software, processes and repair technology that professionals use in the field."

Translation: you're not practicing on hand-me-downs. You're training on what the industry actually uses.

Two Programs, Two Certifications, One Campus

SCC runs two Toyota Elite certification tracks, and they're built right into the existing automotive programs.

Toyota TECS Elite is part of the Automotive Technology program. Students rack up 80 hours of hands-on skills training in brakes, steering, suspension, tire repair, and general maintenance, and graduate as Toyota Maintenance Certified technicians. Here's the kicker: there's no extra cost for TECS Elite if you're in the Auto Tech program. It's already rolled into what you pay to attend SCC. A free Toyota certification on top of your degree. Not a bad deal.

Toyota CRR Elite is the capstone for students in the Auto Collision Repair and Refinishing program. You'll pick up Toyota-specific training in welding, structural repair, and refinishing, and walk away with a specialized Toyota credential. That credential tells employers something very specific: this person can do the work the right way, the first time.

What It Means When You Graduate

Once you've got the credentials, the door swings open. Graduates can apply for service technician positions at Toyota or Lexus dealerships, or at pretty much any automotive service operation, including independent shops.

And before anyone asks "but are there actually jobs out there?": yes.

An estimated 624,000 technician positions will need to be filled over the next four years. Toyota Motor North America didn't build the TECS Elite program on a whim. They built it specifically to help close that gap and create a pipeline of skilled, certified technicians ready to step in.

Automotive technology instructor Austen Totsch put it plainly: "Our students graduate fully prepared to step into their careers. They're not just learning the basics but developing the confidence to handle the same tools and challenges they'll face in the industry."

Ready to Get Started?

The Automotive Technology and Auto Collision Repair programs are both on the West Burlington campus. Visit scciowa.edu to dig into the program details, or get in touch with Admissions at 319-208-5155 (or text 319-250-7144) to take the next step.

Your future career is sitting in a shop bay with a Toyota logo on it. Go get it.