Speak to me

There is a message for vocational training in the recent Toyota crisis, writes Larry Smith.

For decades, the name Toyota has been synonymous with quality production, performance and safety in automobiles. In recent weeks, however, that reputation has taken a major battering in the face of a safety debacle that has seen huge numbers of its most popular cars recalled in a plethora of countries. The impact on sales has been devastating for the company. Safety recalls for motor vehicles are a common event affecting most manufacturers - not just Toyota. There will always be design problems that do not emerge until after a model has been released and subjected to prolonged use. The...