Toyota co-op breaks the mold

The industry magazine Torque News highlighted the co-op experience of a University of Cincinnati engineering student at Toyota.

Allison Keith, a mechanical engineering student in UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science, has worked several co-op rotations at the automaker.

In UC's co-op program, students divide the year between dedicated in-class instruction and full-time employment with a company in their chosen field. UC students earned a collective $94 million over the past academic year.

Keith was introduced to the automaker during a UC job fair. She started in the stamping section at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, the automaker's largest factory. She also got experience in its research and development section.

Keith completed a co-op rotation at Duke Energy before returning to Toyota where she now works in its TILT Lab, which pursues new innovations in manufacturing and design. At Toyota, Keith has been working with the company's science outreach program for children.

Keith said she has liked working on cars ever since she got her first one at 16. After graduating she hopes to stay at Toyota to pursue a career in management.

“By working hard, you can achieve your goals at Toyota,“ she told Torque News.

Read the Torque News story.

Featured image at top: UC mechanical engineering student Allison Keith has worked co-ops at Toyota. Photo/John Goreham