Kia Georgia Training Center and Manufacturing Plant Tour

Kia Georgia Training Center & Manufacturing Plant Tour – West Point, Georgia

Go beyond the factory floor for a special GMA event exploring both sides of advanced manufacturing — how you develop the people AND how you build the product. We'll begin inside the Kia Georgia Training Center, where Kia and Georgia Quick Start have built a workforce-development model specifically for advanced automotive manufacturing. Following lunch and a presentation on workforce development and Quick Start, attendees will transition to Kia Georgia's manufacturing plant for an inside look at the systems, technology, people, and processes behind 350,000 vehicles annually.

About Kia Georgia

Kia's 2,200-acre West Point operation is the company's only U.S. manufacturing plant, representing a total investment of approximately $3.2 billion. The facility currently manufactures the Telluride, Sorento, Sportage, EV6 and EV9 and has annual production capacity of 350,000 vehicles, operating three shifts, 24 hours a day. Vehicles produced in West Point serve the U.S. market and are also exported to markets around the world. Kia Georgia currently reports a workforce of more than 3,200 team members.

The Kia Georgia Training Center

Before entering the plant, you'll see where Kia prepares its workforce for the plant floor.

The 70,000-square-foot Kia Georgia Training Center was the first building completed as part of the Kia complex, opening in 2008 before vehicle production began. Jointly operated by Kia Georgia and Georgia Quick Start, the center includes robotics, welding and electronics labs, classrooms, and equipment for training on programmable logic controllers (PLCs). It was intentionally designed to adapt as manufacturing technology and Kia's training requirements change.

That adaptability continues today. In August 2026, Georgia Tech reported on a new virtual-reality training platform being developed with Georgia Quick Start that allows Kia Georgia employees to practice assembly tasks before working on the production floor. The technology is designed to help employees learn sequences, develop muscle memory and become familiar with production tasks in a controlled training environment before moving into live vehicle production.

Three Key Highlights

1. See How Kia Develops Manufacturing Talent Before Day One

Explore a dedicated technical training environment built around the skills required in modern automotive manufacturing. See how robotics, welding, electronics and PLC training help bridge the gap between hiring someone and preparing that person to perform safely and effectively in production.

2. Learn How Georgia Quick Start Works With Manufacturers

Over lunch, hear directly about the workforce-development partnership between Kia Georgia and Georgia Quick Start, the customized workforce training program of the Technical College System of Georgia. You'll get a practical look at how employer-specific training can be developed around actual jobs, equipment and manufacturing processes — and what other Georgia manufacturers can learn from the model.

3. Take It From the Classroom to the Factory Floor

After seeing how the workforce is prepared, experience where that training is put to work. The Kia manufacturing tour provides a firsthand look at a high-volume automotive operation producing multiple vehicle platforms — including both internal-combustion and electric vehicles — within the West Point operation.

Workforce & Continuous Improvement Takeaways

• How technical training can be built around the actual skills employees need on the manufacturing floor
• The role of robotics, PLC, electronics and welding training in developing a modern manufacturing workforce
• How simulation and emerging VR training can allow employees to practice complex assembly tasks before entering live production
• How standardized training supports safety, quality and consistency across a large, three-shift manufacturing operation
• How manufacturers can work with Georgia Quick Start and the Technical College System of Georgia to address workforce and skills-development needs
• Why workforce development should be treated as part of the manufacturing system — not simply an HR function

Who Should Attend

This special event is particularly valuable for:

• Plant Managers and Manufacturing Executives
• Workforce Development and Training Leaders
• HR and Talent Development Leaders
• Continuous Improvement / Lean Leaders
• Operations and Production Managers
• Manufacturing and Industrial Engineers
• Maintenance and Reliability Leaders
• Automation, Controls and Robotics Professionals
• Manufacturers struggling to recruit, train or retain skilled employees

If you are responsible for building the workforce your operation will need over the next five years, this is a rare opportunity to see the connection between recruiting, technical training, workforce development and production at one of Georgia's largest manufacturing operations.

SPECIAL EVENT AGENDA

11:00 – 11:15 am Registration, Networking & GMA Welcome

11:15 am – 12:30 pm Lunch, Kia Georgia Training Center Tour & Workforce Development / Georgia Quick Start Presentation

12:30 – 2:30 pm Kia Georgia Manufacturing Plant Tour

ARRIVAL LOCATION

Kia Georgia Training Center
900 Kia Boulevard
West Point, GA 31833

IMPORTANT: Do not navigate to the main Kia plant address at 7777 Kia Parkway. This event begins at the Kia Georgia Training Center at 900 Kia Boulevard. Attendees should follow any final parking, security and check-in instructions provided before the event.

TOUR REQUIREMENTS

Attendance is limited:

1 Ticket for non-manufacturing companies

2 Tickets for manufacturing companies

FULLY ENCLOSED, FLAT-BOTTOM SHOES ARE MANDATORY. No High Heels!

Long pants are required for the Kia plant tour.

No photography or video is allowed inside the Kia Georgia manufacturing plant.

Large purses, bags and backpacks should be left in your vehicle unless Kia provides different instructions prior to the event.