Today's production workers are the craftsmen of tomorrow at Toyota : Training creates skilled maintenance technicians for lean manufacturing

Purpose – Describes the three‐year Production to Maintenance training scheme at Toyota UK, which is training experienced production‐line workers with no technical qualifications to become multi‐skilled maintenance technicians, fully able to meet the challenges of lean manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach – Explains the origins of the scheme, how it works in practice and the results it has achieved. Findings – Reveals that to date, 136 production employees have completed, or are undertaking, the scheme. Practical implications – Shows that maintenance technicians from the Production to Maintenance scheme are demonstrating higher skills and competence in their role compared to external hires recruited at the same time. Employee‐retention rates for Production to Maintenance people are also higher than for external hires. Social implications – Details a scheme that is giving a second chance to people who missed out on acquiring practical skills while they were in full‐time education. Originality/value – Offers proof of the considerable talent in existing workforces.