 The Toyota Lift of Minnesota facility |
A forklift dealership in Brooklyn Park, north-west of Minneapolis, has provided training under the Giving-Veterans-a-Lift program of Toyota Material Handling USA Inc (TMHU).
The local organisation "only had one Marine trained" in the operation of a forklift, says Steve Gerlach, Toyota Lift of Minnesota customer service representative whose duties include training customers. "We trained 11 Marines during a class on November 28."
The newly certified forklift operators are with the US Marine Corps Reserve aviation ground support unit known as Marine Wing Support Squadron 471, based in Minneapolis.
The Marines operated forklifts to transport and handle the collected donations for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation based out of a Minneapolis distribution centre. In 2011, Marines and other Toys for Tots volunteers distributed more than 15.6 million toys nationally to more than 7.2 million less fortunate children, according to TMHU.
"We do training classes one or two times a month for any veteran seeking employment," Gerlach reports. Toyota, as sponsor, has had the program in place since 2010.
Toyota Lift of Minnesota will hold another Toyota-sponsored veterans' forklift certification program on 16 January from 8 am to 1 pm.
TMHU says the program is intended to aid veterans in finding employment. The program provides veterans dealership career opportunities and discounted operator safety training.
For every veteran hired by a Toyota Industrial Equipment dealership as a service technician, TMHU will match a dealer's donation (up to USD500) to Hire Heroes USA, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to creating job opportunities for US military transitioning service members, veterans and their spouses.
"It is powerful to see the effect that the job training program is having on the community," said Jeff Rufener, TMHU president. "This group of veterans has not only learned a new skill but has also taken the extra measure to 'pay it forward' by applying it to help their communities."