As nation's demand for skilled tradespeople grows, Universal Technical Institute opens its doors to prospective technicians

Open houses across the country highlight the industry's annual need for more than 120,000 trained transportation technicians

News provided by

Universal Technical Institute, Inc.

Jan 15, 2019, 09:00 ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 17, students across the U.S. will get an exclusive look at careers in the transportation, computer numerical control (CNC) machining and welding industries during Technician Career Expo & Open Houses hosted by Universal Technical Institute's 13 campuses nationwide.

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that, by 2026, there will be more than 1.2 million job openings in the automotive, diesel and collision repair industries.¹ To help reach that total, the transportation industry will need to fill more than 120,000 technician job openings annually, on average.

During UTI's Technician Career Expo & Open Houses, prospective technicians will learn about these jobs, the leading-edge technologies that power modern vehicles, and the high-tech training and career opportunities available to them.

Guests will meet with local companies who employ UTI graduates and offer tuition reimbursement plans and other hiring incentives. They can participate in live STEM activities and demonstrations of the campuses' hands-on and virtual training programs, and tour UTI's state-of the-industry labs, which are outfitted by more than 30 leading manufacturer brands.

"Our industry partners help guide our curriculum and give our students the chance to work with sophisticated vehicles, tools and technologies," said Sherrell Smith, Executive Vice President Campus Operations. "As a result, our graduates go into the workforce with the skills employers want and need."

Smith said open house events are an opportunity to give students a real-world perspective on the rewarding, high-tech careers in the transportation industry, and for employers to share the abundant, well-paying jobs they have available.

The company expects to host hundreds of people at each of its campuses in Avondale and Phoenix, Ariz.; Long Beach, Rancho Cucamonga and Sacramento, Calif.; Orlando, Florida; Lisle, Ill.; Norwood, Mass., Bloomfield, New Jersey; Mooresville, North Carolina; Exton, Penn.; and Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas.

About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.:
With more than 200,000 graduates in its 53-year history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the nation's leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. The company has built partnerships with industry leaders, outfits its state-of-the-industry facilities with current technology, and delivers training that is aligned with employer needs. Through its network of 13 campuses nationwide, UTI offers post-secondary programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.

For more information, visit www.uti.edu. Like UTI on www.facebook.com/UTI or follow UTI on Twitter @UTITweet, @MMITweet, and @NASCARTechUTI.

¹ Source: Based on data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2016-2026), www.bls.gov. The projected number of annual job openings, by job classification is: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, 75,900; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists, 28,300; Automotive Body and Related Repairers, 17,200. Job openings include openings due to growth and net replacements.