The Yokohama Tire plant in West Point is hiring production positions.
The Japan-based tire maker announced Tuesday that it is looking to hire approximately 400 people. Roughly 110 people have already been hired by Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi — from engineers to technicians. But the jobs made available Tuesday represent the lion share of jobs the plant will offer, as production positions will be the largest department of the plant’s workforce.
“We are excited and pleased to announce the posting of the first of our production machine operator positions,” said Melissa Orman, human resources manager for YTMM.
Applications are available at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security website at mdes.ms.gov.
Macaulay Whitaker, vice president of internal and external affairs for the Golden Triangle Development LINK, told The Dispatch that while the positions are open to people all across Mississippi, the LINK believes most will be filled by Golden Triangle residents.
“I’d anticipate the application rate will be high,” Whitaker said.
Qualified applicants will have graduated high school or have a GED, received a silver-level or higher score on the Career Readiness Test, and completed the Manufacturing Skills Basic Certification course. The LINK said local schools such as East Mississippi Community College offer these tests and courses, and many in the area can excel in these production jobs.
“We know there is a large pool of eligible candidates out there,” Whitaker said.
Raj Shaunak, vice president of workforce and community services at EMCC, said the school has roughly 4,000 people who met skill requirements for jobs like the ones Yokohama is now hiring for in the last three years. The LINK approaches EMCC to ensure the Golden Triangle’s workforce includes people qualified for manufacturing positions, Shuanak said.
“We’ve been eagerly waiting for this announcement of hiring production workers,” he said.
In a statement released Tuesday, LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said, “These are the jobs people have been waiting for.”
LINK officials said Yokohama has been on or ahead of schedule throughout the process of getting the West Plant plant up and running. Whitaker said this is all still part of phase one for YTMM. Phase two is scheduled to begin in the fall, and though no official announcement has yet been made, Whitaker anticipates the schedule to be maintained.
Alan Easome, Yokohama senior director of new plant development, told The Dispatch late last year that the company aims to launch production in October.
“The progress they are making in their hiring shows not only their continued commitment to the Golden Triangle,” Higgins said. “It also speaks to the high quality workforce and training we have available in our area.”
Workforce readiness training has been a focus for EMCC and local high school vocational programs.
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