CHATTANOOGA (AP) — State officials have approved a $600,000 job training grant for a Volkswagen supplier in Chattanooga.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports (http://bit.ly/2cZ5tEF) that the State Funding Board OK'd the FastTrack Job Training funds in a meeting last week.

The money will go toward Chattanooga Seating Systems LLC, a joint venture between Magna Seating and Hollingsworth International that makes seating systems for VW's existing Passat sedan production and for a new SUV scheduled to into production later this year.

The company is adding nearly 200 new employees in addition to the 128 already working at 58,000 -square-foot-facility. The average pay rate for the new workers will be $16.10 per hour.

Chattanooga Seating Systems is investing more than $5 million in new equipment for making the new seating systems.