Campus Currents

Student Trains with Kia Motors

 “It was worth a shot,” says Eric Anderson, a senior automotive technology major, of applying for a spot at Kia Motors training camp. It sure was. Competing for a spot with 320 applicants from more than 20 countries, Anderson was one of two Americans selected to spend a whirlwind week training in South Korea last summer. The all-expense-paid trip was designed to build a better name for Kia Motors in the world market.

Eric Anderson (right) learns the fine points of South Korean culture at Kia Motors training camp.

Part of the training camp was spent learning about the company and touring manufacturing plants. “We got to watch them build cars,” says Anderson. “And demolish them,” he adds, referring to brand-new cars from other manufacturers. Trainees also viewed crash tests and test-rode some of the cars.

There were also friendly competitions between the trainees, including the timed repair of a car that was not in running condition. “We got ours running in under a minute and a half,” Anderson remembers. “The Kia people were blown away; they couldn’t believe how fast we were.” Kia representatives expected the activity to take at least an hour, and were not anticipating Anderson’s abilities, one of the few trained in automotive technology. Most of the participants came from an engineering or marketing background.

The rest of the trip was spent learning about the South Korean culture. “They dressed us up in traditional clothing and taught us to bow respectfully. You have to sit a special way too. You can’t just sit down; it has to happen in a specific order,” he says. The group also played native games, learned to make tea, and joined in traditional meals.

The training information at the camp was basic compared to what Anderson knows about automotive technology. He has worked in the WWC auto shop, located in the Canaday Technology Center, for three years while attending classes. Walla Walla College is one of the few universities in the country that offers a four-year major in automotive technology.  W

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