An executive at a new-car dealership has been named Business Partner of the Year by the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools (MCVTS) for hiring and supporting students studying for automotive careers.
Michael Dooley, director of fixed operations for Dayton Toyota on Route 130 in South Brunswick, has been an avid supporter of the MCVTS automotive technology program for more than 10 years, according to Superintendent of Schools Dianne D. Veilleux, who noted that he also supports the auto technology program of Middlesex College.
“He has gone out of his way, over and above,” Sean McDonald, MCVTS director of career and technical education, said in a prepared statement. “He takes our students right into his organization and puts them right to work. He gives them lots of support.
“We’re very fortunate to have employers who give students a head start on their careers,” McDonald added. “He rises to the top.”
“He’s an awesome guy,” Mark Mastrolia, an MCVTS cooperative education coordinator, said in the statement. “I’ve worked with him for a number of years. He’s willing to step up to the plate to help students.”
Mastrolia said Dooley and Dayton Toyota have even provided a shuttle to get students from school to work.
Most of the students who work for Dayton Toyota through a grant-aided pre-apprenticeship program in partnership with the college and NJCAR, an association of new-car dealerships, eventually become full-time employees of the dealership, Veilleux said in the statement.
Dooley also is a member of the MCVTS automotive technology advisory committee.
Veilleux commended Dooley for his “forward-thinking, outstanding mentorship, and collaborative efforts.”
The Business Partner of the Year award is made in conjunction with the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools.