Hyundai Metaplant project promises thousands of regional jobs, school-district partners outline training pathways

Sheila Blanco, public information manager for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, introduced representatives from Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America on a district video about careers at the new plant, saying the project’s "scale ... is just extraordinary."

Brent Stubbs, senior manager and head of learning and development for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), said the company chose the Savannah region for a large, technology-focused plant that the company intends to be “a true future state of the art smart factory” focused on sustainable mobility. "That's what's happening here right now in almost 1,900 acres, 16,000,000 square feet, over $2,000,000,000 of investment, almost 10,000,000,000 overall for the project, 8,500 jobs on-site, over 12,000 jobs in the region," Stubbs said.

The nut of the presentation was workforce opportunity and preparation: HMGMA staff and Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools leaders outlined who can apply to entry-level production jobs, what training is available, and how pay and benefits compare for entry hires versus those with short technical credentials. "Our minimum requirement is 18 years old with a GED or a high school diploma," Carissa Young, manager for learning and development at HMGMA, said, adding that the company plans to implement apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs and partner with local school districts for dual-enrollment coursework.

Krista (last name not provided), a representative describing a Savannah Technical College partnership, said the Electric Vehicle Professional Technical Certificate of Credit (EVP TCC) is an eight- to 10-week program that teaches students about electric vehicles. "For employees who come in, just off the ground running without this program, they will be hired at about $22.4 an hour. But with the EVP TCC certification, that increases to about $23.7 an hour," Krista said.

Stubbs and Young emphasized a mix of hiring paths and internal advancement. Stubbs said HMGMA seeks a broad range of positions — from production floor jobs (stamp, welding, paint, assembly) to engineers, IT and professional roles — and described internal training and promotion pathways. He gave an example of an employee named Jamal who began in an entry-level role at another plant and advanced to assistant manager through on-the-job learning. "There's not a ceiling in terms of where you can grow in the company," Stubbs said.

Young described HMGMA’s on-site training program. She said initial training is provided through a partner, Quickstart, consisting of two weeks of core skill training plus two to six additional weeks of job-specific training, and that the company looks for workplace soft skills such as communication, teamwork and problem solving during interviews.

Panelists also summarized benefits and other hiring details: medical and dental insurance, a 401(k) match described as dollar-for-dollar up to 6 percent, 15 paid holidays including a year-end break, and medical premiums the company pays at about 93 percent with employees paying 7 percent. Stubbs encouraged students interested in technical maintenance fields — mechatronics, robotics and industrial maintenance — noting the plant will use thousands of robots and will require technical staff to maintain them.

To apply, Stubbs said positions will be posted on HMGMA’s careers site. "All of our positions are posted on that website," he said, citing careers.hmgma.com. The panel said HMGMA also plans apprenticeship pathways and dual-enrollment options with local schools and colleges to provide preferred pathways into technical and production jobs.

The presentation was framed as an informational workforce partnership rather than a policy action; no formal votes or district decisions were recorded during the segment.