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BELDEN, Miss. — Gov. Haley Barbour and officials from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi declared they have overcome significant economic obstacles to share some positive developments about the plant rising in the northern part of the state.

After recessionary conditions stalled the process, the company recently resumed the hiring of more workers at its Blue Springs, Miss., plant.

When Toyota Motor Corp. announced in February 2007 it was locating an automotive assembly plant in north Mississippi, it committed to creating 2,000 direct jobs.

Then in 2008, the company announced a delay in its plans to start producing vehicles in Blue Springs due to market conditions and a weak economy.

Toyota completed construction at the north Mississippi facility and retained its existing workforce there. Now the automaker plans to resume preparations for production at the plant where it will begin producing the Corolla in the fall of 2011.

TMMMS explained that it's coordinating all hiring for its hourly production and skilled maintenance positions through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) and the Workforce Investment Network (WIN) Job Centers.

Individuals interested in employment opportunities at Toyota's Blue Springs plant may apply online at www.mdes.ms.gov. Persons needing assistance with the application process or access to an Internet accessible computer may visit any WIN Job Center in Mississippi.

For a complete list of the WIN Job Centers in the state, visit this website.

"We have looked forward with great anticipation to the day when Toyota was ready to fully staff its Blue Springs facility, and that day has come," Gov. Barbour emphasized.

"I am so pleased that Toyota is moving forward with its hiring process and is creating so many high-quality jobs for the residents of Mississippi. Today is a great day for not only north Mississippi but the state as a whole," he added.

David Copenhaver, vice president of administration at TMMMS, shared a similar position as the state's highest elected official.

"The reputation of the outstanding workforce in northeast Mississippi was a major factor for Toyota when we chose Blue Springs for our newest U.S. plant," Copenhaver stated. "Today marks a big milestone for Toyota Mississippi as we begin building our team."

Toyota and state authorities offered a list of further instructions for individuals interested in production and skilled maintenance positions:

1. Visit www.mdes.ms.gov, and click the Toyota link underneath the "Access Mississippi Online Services" section.

2.  For applicants with an existing account, log into the system with a username and password. For applicants without an account, follow the easy steps to create an account.

3.  Once logged in, select the Search for Jobs link.

4.  Enter keyword "Toyota" to view a complete list of available jobs at the Toyota plant.

5.  Follow the prompts to apply for a position of interest.

"We are pleased to be working with Toyota to help the company staff its facility," noted MDES executive director Les Range.

"Thanks to an investment by Toyota and the Mississippi Development Authority, we have been able to expand our online system to help Toyota take job applications for its Blue Springs facility," Range continued.

"Residents may apply for Toyota jobs at any computer with Internet access: at home, at libraries, at a friend's home or anywhere else, and help is always available at one of the 53 WIN Job Centers across the state," he added.

Individuals interested in salaried positions at the facility are encouraged to visit www.toyota.com/jobs and follow these instructions to apply online.

1. Visit www.toyota.com/jobs.

2. Click on the Search Jobs link in the middle of the page.

3. Another dialogue box will open with the list of available job openings.

4. Review the open positions and click "Apply" underneath the open position of interest.

5. If you have applied for positions with Toyota in the past, enter your username and password.

6. If you have not applied for positions with Toyota in the past, select the "New User" button.

7. Create a unique username (utilizing letters and numbers) and a password.

8. There are several pages of the application process. Please complete all in order to be considered.

a. Select how you heard about the position.

b. Complete your contact information. Required fields will be marked with an asterisk (*).

c. The easiest way to tell us about your work experience is to attach a resume. To do so, click on the browse button. Select the file you want to attach. Select open. Then select the "attach" button. If you do not have a resume to attach, scroll down to the bottom of the page and type in your information; or

d. You may enter your work experience and education in the next section. Select your places of employment and the time frame when you worked there. Then you can select your school, major and degree.

e. The next page asks whether or not you require sponsorship to work in the U.S. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, select no.

f. The next page focuses on qualifications and skills. Please answer to the best of your knowledge.

g. The next page is diversity information. This information is not viewable by the recruiting staff. If you are not comfortable providing this information, then there is an option for "I do not wish to provide this information"

h. There is a summary page. Please review the information and edit any that needs to be changed. When everything is correct, click on the submit button.

i. You will then receive a thank you page.

"We were delighted when Toyota announced in early 2007 it was locating an automotive assembly plant in north Mississippi and would create 2,000 jobs in the area," insisted Gray Swoope, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority.

"Today, I am pleased Toyota is ready to start filling those positions and putting Mississippians to work," Swoope concluded.