Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA (MTMUS) is set to begin the hiring process for the production team at its $1.6 billion auto assembly plant in Huntsville today.

MTMUS is getting an assist from AIDT, Alabama’s primary workforce development agency, in what will surely become one of the largest ongoing hiring events in the history of the state.

Production team members represent the largest percentage of the MTMUS workforce, which is expected to total 4,000 once full production is achieved at the 3.7 million-square-foot facility.

Production team members will be responsible for the hands-on assembly of up to 300,000 Mazda and Toyota vehicles annually.

While the first hiring phase of MTMUS production team members opens today, hiring will continue on a rolling basis through 2022, according to AIDT.

Four-step process

Applicants can start the process online at www.mazdatoyota.com, where they will provide basic contact information and work history and answer a few questions. Applicants who meet hiring criteria will be invited to take an online assessment, which includes a written portion.

Those hired for the Mazda Toyota production team will train at the Alabama Robotics Technology Park in Decatur. (contributed)

Candidates who advance beyond the online assessment will be invited to a “Day of Work Assessment,” which will place applicants in a simulated plant environment to assess their skills at various tasks. This will help ensure that qualified candidates are matched to positions suited to their skills and abilities.

Job offers are contingent upon a successful background check, drug screening and medical physical exam.

AIDT said the high volume of anticipated applicants means that the timeline from assessment to job offer could take up to three months.

Employee positions, duties and details describing the application process can all be found on the Mazda Toyota website.

AIDT, part of the Alabama Department of Commerce, is providing a range of workforce development assistance to MTMUS, including training at the agency’s Alabama Robotics Technology Park near Decatur.

This week, MTMUS joined AIDT to launch the RTP 2.0 initiative to prepare the training site for technological advances in robotics and automation technologies.

MTMUS announced its plans for the Alabama assembly plant in January 2018. Construction of the facility is well underway on the 2,500-acre site in the Limestone County portion of Huntsville.

Production of the first vehicles at MTMUS will begin next year.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.