Careers at Toyota: Leanne’s Story

By Rachel The, Senior Marketing Executive

​Since joining Toyota 11 years ago, Leanne shares her experience working at Toyota and striving to be a pillar of support and inspiration for women in manufacturing.

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11 years on, Leanne’s never looked back since joining at the age of 19
It’s no surprise that Leanne has stayed on at Toyota for so long – her uncle is also currently working in the factory, and her mother had previously done so too. More impressively, her father has been working at Toyota for 30 years and counting!

Having seen family members enjoy the benefits of working at Toyota motivated Leanne to pursue an opportunity with the automotive manufacturer as well.

Since then, she’s familiarised herself with 11 different processes within the assembly area she works in. This year, she’s been nominated to attend Toyota’s pre-promotional development course in September, putting her on track to progress onto a supervisory role.

A typical day in Leanne’s life
The first order of the day is getting up early at 5:30 in the morning so Leanne can bring her 4-year-old daughter over to her mum's house for the day. Her and a colleague then carshare a 20-minute commute to work.

Leanne’s duties for the day varies depending on whether she’s working on the line or leading the team. If she’s working on the line, she’ll often rotate around different processes throughout the day, which keeps work interesting.

If she’s team leading, she’ll read through the handover book and consult the Group Leader on any issues the night before that needs to be factored in for the day. On shifts where challenges arise, Leanne is kept busy with problem solving – something she says she “actually quite enjoys as it challenges me and helps me to learn."

Team bonding in and out of work
On the line Leanne works on, everyone is very friendly and gets on well with each other, which she’s found helps her get into a smooth working rhythm. Her line team will also organise socials to attend the Chester Races or enjoy after work drinks in the summertime and at Christmas!

According to Leanne, the most interesting part of her job is…
Team leading! It also is one of the more challenging aspects of her job as she’s always thinking of new ways to improve their processes and keep team spirits high. She also enjoys sharing her advice and experience with fellow colleagues as a woman who has worked in manufacturing for over a decade.

Being a pillar of support for female colleagues
Back when Leanne started working at Toyota 11 years ago, she was motivated to excel in her role as she didn’t have many female colleagues she could lean on at work. This made her want to stand out in what is seen as traditionally male-oriented work.

This encouraged her to work hard so she could eventually become someone other women could get support from and be inspired by to do the same. Being part of Toyota’s pre-promotional development course makes Leanne excited: “I will soon be in a position where other women can come to me for advice or look up to me when they join.”

Feeling inspired by Leanne’s story and want to learn more about working at Toyota? Discover the Engine Production role at Deeside and apply through our chatbot below!

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