Toyota executive Mary Batch recognized by the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council

Mary Batch, current assistant manager of human resource development at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, has received the MSSC Recognition Award for her role in growing the next workforce generation in technology.

Batch was recognized at the June 17, 2015 executive briefing on the importance of industry credentials in closing the skills gap, held at Ivy Tech Community College.

According to MSSC CEO, Leo Reddy, “Mary’s creative combination of MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) training and credentialing for San Antonio high school students with junior and senior year internships has produced a highly successful model for industry-supported internships that should be emulated nationwide. The high success rates for this program demonstrate a solid pathway for moving high school students into challenging and rewarding careers in advanced manufacturing.”

Batch has exposed the youth in San Antonio to STEM initiatives through interactive engagement activities beginning at the middle school level in engineering, multi-skill maintenance and production. Entering into her fifth year with her partnership with Alamo Colleges and the Alamo Academies (National model) and winner of the 2015 Community College Bellwether Award for Workforce Development, she has provided eight-week summer internships for high school students enrolled in the Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Academies in between their junior and senior year. The primary purpose is to expose them to the different possibilities that an education and hands on manufacturing experience can bring.

As part of this community-wide collaboration, school districts provide the books and transportation for high school students, and the two-year Alamo Colleges provide MSSC-authorized Instructors and MSSC-authorized Assessment Centers. Graduates receive a high school diploma, a Level I Certificate (almost 1/2 way toward an AAS) and industry-recognized credentials, depending on the Academy. Success rates are impressive: 42% of graduates receive jobs and the remaining 58% go on to higher education. The success of the Alamo Academies is also a powerful tool for economic development. The Regional Economic Development Office uses the Academies program as a strong argument for companies to locate in the San Antonio area.

Prior to Toyota, Batch was an adjunct instructor at Palo Alto Community College teaching industrial automation technology to workforce employees for 2 ½ years. In addition, she spent 14 years at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Air Force Research Lab developing biomedical prototypes to assist researchers in their grants and research.