Universal Technical Institute & Imagine America Foundation Celebrate Scholarship Program's 20th Anniversary

12,000 scholarships worth more than $17M awarded to UTI students since 2002

PHOENIX, Nov. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute (UTI) joined forces with the Imagine America Foundation (IAF) more than 20 years ago and together has reached a milestone of 12,000 scholarships awarded to UTI students between 2009 and 2022. This fall, additional $1,000 IAF scholarships were distributed to a diverse group of candidates, including military personnel, service veterans, career-transitioning adults, and recent high school graduates all attending UTI.

"UTI has been an integral partner of Imagine America Foundation for two decades," said Robert Martin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Imagine America Foundation. "Since our inception in 1982, our focus has remained on career training, and ensuring that students earn the skills and job qualifications needed to meet industry-standards and employer requirements, which also now includes electric vehicle maintenance. We work closely with employers to understand their needs, just as UTI does. The longevity of the relationship of our two organizations is a testament to the ongoing benefit it creates for everyone involved."

"As one of our long-standing relationships, the Imagine America Foundation is a tremendous proponent of career colleges like ours, and we really value the work they do," said UTI CEO Jerome Grant. "The thousands of graduates who received a scholarship from the foundation are now contributing in the workforce in the transportation industry and beyond, and more scholarship recipients are attending UTI this fall. This is a win-win for UTI students, and our employer partners, who are seeking trained technicians."

The Imagine America Foundation offers scholarships for prospective students pursuing careers in aircraft and avionics, automotive service, CNC machinery, diesel engine service, HVAC maintenance and repair, motorcycle service and welding.  UTI offers programs in a number of these areas, as well as continues to roll out updated training programs that meet the interests of students in electric vehicles. This includes updated electric vehicle curriculum in its Automotive Technology program, as well as in its Manufacturer Specific Advanced Training programs (MSAT) like Ford FACT and Volvo TEKNIKER. 

Currently, workforce demand in the transportation sector is significant nationwide, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating a combined average of more than 146,000 new openings each year for automotive, diesel and welding jobs in the U.S.[1]

Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Phoenix, Universal Technical Institute's (NYSE: UTI) mission is to serve our students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers. Approximately 250,000 students have graduated from one of UTI's 16 campuses located across Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Texas. UTI's campuses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), while its employer-aligned technical training programs are offered under four brands: Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute / Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of Technology. For more information and a complete list of all programs offered, please visit www.uti.edu or follow on LinkedIn @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and Twitter @news_UTI.

The Imagine America Foundation was established in 1982 as the Career College Foundation. Since then, IAF has become the most trusted voice in the career college sector, providing research, scholarship, and employment services for the nation's career college students. This sector has gone through many changes over the course of our long history, which is why we work directly with high schools and career colleges to respond to industry trends, connect with their student communities, and increase student retention—even in a constantly evolving industry.

What remains constant is our focus on career training and ensuring that students earn the skills and job qualifications needed to meet industry-standard and employer requirements. We are successful because we work closely with employers to understand their needs and with the schools who offer relevant and affordable training programs.

Our dedication to students includes helping them find programs to meet their goals, to succeed in school, and to afford their education through our scholarship award and grant programs:

• Imagine America High School Scholarship Program for graduating high school seniors
• Imagine America Military Award Program for active-duty, reservist, or honorably discharged U.S. military service members
• Imagine America Adult Skills Education Program (ASEP) for adult learners

Career college students have received more than $200 million in scholarships and awards through the Imagine America Foundation!

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1 The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the national average annual job openings in each of the following occupations between 2020 and 2030 will be: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, 69,000; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists, 28,100. Job openings include openings due to net employment changes and net replacements. See Table 1.10 Occupational separations and openings, projected 2020–30, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, viewed November 18, 2021. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.

SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc.