tech school

[Bjkearns]

Well I am thinking that I would like to go to a tech school Im thinking either UTI or Wyotech
I am currently a high school senior
Ive been a shop boy at a BMW and MBZ and want to make a career out of working on BMW's as I have always loved them
ok which of the schools do you think is better?
Have you attended one of them? what was your experience?
Has anyone heard anything about the STEP program being currently frozen?

Thank you for your help

 

[930dreamer]

http://www.ripoffreport.com/trade-schools/wyotech/wyotech-outright-fraud-decept-3a9cm.htm

I googled Wyotech and found this, I know nothing about the school myself.

 

[Bjkearns]

O wow that is a good read
Im hoping that it is just a disgruntled student on a isolated incident
I will have to do some more reading and talking to grads before I make my decision

 

[ZRX61]

I hear nothing but bad things about UTI....You'd be better off going to the local CC & taking auto classes there... maybe Cerritos?

 

[930dreamer]

I'm old but , after finding the WYO article last year I sent off for more info, they never sent anything to me.

 

[Ign]

I had a co-worker who went to Wyotech, he had very few good things to say. Basically he felt that the instruction was too basic, and there were so many f*** ups there that he couldn't get the attention that might allow him to excel beyond the basics, but that's the nature of most any vo-tech.

I went to a smaller local vo-tech program. I will say that Wyotech markets heavily and has a name, but there's no reason to believe they're any better than something more local to you. IOW, don't believe the hype. An ad in the back of Hot Rod w a "student" standing next to a pretty girl and leaning on a car does not a good school make.

edit: WOW, I posted this and then looked at the ripoffreport link above. Sounds a lot like talking to my former co-worker. He also complained of the cost vs the poor education.

 

[ZRX61]

O wow that is a good read
Im hoping that it is just a disgruntled student on a isolated incident
I will have to do some more reading and talking to grads before I make my decision

Didn't you read all the follow up comments? There were dozens of hacked off students agreeing with the original post.

 

[972500]

I know it would be a ways from home for ya but take a look at Northwestern. www.unoh.edu if it looks interesting to ya send me a PM an ill tell ya all about it, I graduate in 2 weeks an I loved the school in all honestly kinda dont wanna leave. Yes, I have heard from a few different people that the STEP program has been frozen but never read it on anything offcial so cant say for sure. No matter what your decision best of luck, I was exactly where you are 3 years ago an cant believe Im where I am today.
Mark

 

[Ign]

I want to also mention it's amazing how the cost of education can vary from state to state, esp w vo-techs.

As an example, New Mexico heavily subsidizes higher education because they're a piss-poor and uneducated state, but trying to change that. I went to school for $360 a semester, no joke. Furthermore "in state" was any of the Four Corners states. If I had been considered "out of state" it would have been more around $450/semester. I was in the machine shop program and the school also provided all materials for my projects, and I could use all the material I wanted for my own stuff during off hours, hobby night etc. I only had to buy several hundred in tooling for myself (calipers, mikes, drill index, etc).

In technical trades I think employers are more concerned with your skills and knowledge rather than WHERE you went to school, so go somplace convenient and affordable, and keep your grades up.

 

[gc11090]

Go for a community college, we have a great one in our area. I have took a few mechanics classes to just take up hours and have fun. I learned more than I was ever expecting even in these few classes. It cost probably less than half of what wyotech, uti, or anything else would cost. The instructors were great and even with the occasional large class, I got my moneys worth. They would bring in extra instructors if the class was to large.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

Well I am thinking that I would like to go to a tech school Im thinking either UTI or Wyotech
I am currently a high school senior
Ive been a shop boy at a BMW and MBZ and want to make a career out of working on BMW's as I have always loved them
ok which of the schools do you think is better?
Have you attended one of them? what was your experience?
Has anyone heard anything about the STEP program being currently frozen?

Thank you for your help

Have you given any thought to the military? I spent 7 years in the Army and National Guard. Knowing what I know now, and if I was your age, I would join the Air Force and be a General Purpose Vehicle Mechanic:

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/afjobs/bl2t3x4.htm

There are many other types of "mechanical" fields in the Air Force as well:

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjobmech.htm

Going this route will let you know if you really want to be a mechanic. It will also give you for free the training you would get at UTI. Also, while in the military, you go to college for next to nothing. Get out after three or four years and you will have your whole life ahead of you with tons of experience under your belt. Give it some thought. The military is not a bad way to go.

As for the Air Force itself, they treat you better, your living conditions are better, you eat better, and more than likely you are always "in the rear with the gear", especially in any of the mechanic fields.

 

[Fedwrench]

I would try to find a NATEF certified community college program. Although UTI may have the market cornered on BMW and Benz, there's only so much you can absorb in an accelerated program. I have worked with several UTI grads and students. I wasn't impressed and it's an awful lot of money for what you get. The best techs I've worked with came from GM or Ford training programs where they alternated working in a dealership for 8 weeks and going to school for 8 weeks for 2 years at half the cost of UTI. I think these programs give you the best mix of theory and experience but, that's just me.
I also agree that the best thing for any qualified 18 year old is to serve a few years in the military. It can provide vocational training, college money, see parts of the world no one wants to pay to see, experience, and mature you. It will also give you 5 bonus points towards most decent job selections afterwards.

 

[UncleJoe]

Let me add my 2 cents regarding any tech school. I owned 2 Information Technology Schools for 5 years before a family illness forced me to close them down so I could focus on family health issues.

We had hundreds of students complete the courses. Some would go on to have great careers and stay in contact with me to this day. Others would ***** and moan that they could not find work. This was before the recent recession. The students all had access to the same study materials, labs and instructor time yet some excel and some don't.

At some point it is up to the student to take charge of their career and learn the stuff. I saw a lot of students that seemed to think if they sat their *** in class for 6 months they should know all they need to know to go on to have a highly paid career as a network engineer.

If I was in your shoes I would investigate the local Community college. Most have decent automotive programs. Then enroll and make it your mission to get everything you can from that class. Be aggressive in your learning. This is your time to learn the skills that will pay you for a long time. It is not high school and once you get out an employer will like that you passed the course but if you really don't know your stuff then you will soon be out of work. There are a lot of courses you can pass and not really know the stuff, sad but true.

I guess my bottom line advice is do not make the mistake that I see so many make of thinking that just attending a school, even one with the high powered marketing of Wyotech, is going to give you the skills you need. Once you enroll get busy learning. Work harder at studying this stuff than you ever have before. The payoff is amazing when you have the knowledge to do the job right. Look around at the best mechanics, they are not the best because they have the biggest toolbox, they are the best because they have the knowledge and skill. They earned that knowledge and so can you if you study hard and stay focused.

 

[CBradio]

I attended Wyotech for Diesel. I, for one, would NOT do it again. Yeah, you'll learn about the given subject, but when you step in the shop to do your comps, you might finish the comp in 25 minutes, and wait around with your hand in the air for 40 minutes waiting for instructors to come and sign off on you. There are A LOT of students, and too few instructors. It's also pretty expensive for 9 or 12 months.

 

[crewchief888]

ive worked with a few graduates from tech schools

lets just say i wouldnt let them change a gas cap.

the dealer schools that i have attended over the last 12 years are held at a tech school. ive talked to the instructors, most of them say less than 5% of their students have what it takes to make it after completeing a 4 year course. most students wont apply themselves, and think just because they finished school, that someone will hand them a job, and pay them 6 figure salaries.

 

[jon1996]

if you do not care to be across the map look into NADC I graduated there in 1997 and I go there twice a year for my company to recruit new mechanincs it is a good school

 

[jake00]

I've got 4 close friends who either went to wyotech, uti or the local CC. (circa 1998) 2 were volvo techs, one a Chrysler tech, and one went straight into maintenance for a school district.

within 5 years, the volvo techs went back to college, One is a Cop, the other looking for a job. the Chrysler tech is now an auto shop teacher at a highschool.

 

[sofob0909]

if i were you. i would go to a good engineering school and take german classes if you want to work for BMW.

I go to UNC charlotte and they have a great mechanical engineering program, BMW, the other car companies, tons of race teams and aftermarket companies are always around.

I talked with a Rep about 3 weeks ago and he said that german was a HUGE perk that would put you at the top of their list. Study hard and stand out

 

[crewchief888]

if i were you. i would go to a good engineering school and take german classes if you want to work for BMW.

I go to UNC charlotte and they have a great mechanical engineering program, BMW, the other car companies, tons of race teams and aftermarket companies are always around.

I talked with a Rep about 3 weeks ago and he said that german was a HUGE perk that would put you at the top of their list. Study hard and stand out

i think the key is to "study hard and stand out".
seems to me that most of the "tech schools" try the fast track approach to learning, you graduate if you pay your tuition.
i started working on const equipment by doing PM srvices and busting tires, factory schooling came later, when the dealership decided i was worth further education, ans spending their money on.

 

[Garys Garage]

I graduated Wyo Tech 30 years ago. It was supposed to be the best back then. I put effort into it and finished at the top of my class. Cars were much simpler then. I hired a kid out of UTI several years ago and while he did a good job for me he was slow and I dont think he got much from that school . They were teaching carbs still. Go to a local college and take basic electronics course and automotive electric . Most other stuff will be learned on the job. Automotive wiring and computers is the way of the future.

 

[colt zantop]

DO NOT GO TO WYOTECH!!!!!! I made the mistake.....need I say more.....I will...... classes were wayyyyyyy too packed....60+ students and 3 instructors....recruiters are a JOKE!!!! they will tell you anything you want to hear to get your signature....they screwed me on a street rod class I had signed up for a year in advance and told me I had to take a diff class(3 more months and 8k more$$$) until the street rod class was available again because they overbooked the class.......THE SCHOOL IS A JOKE!!!!!!

 

[ears]

Talk to the BMW shop about continuing to work there as a shop boy and taking night classes at the local Community College. They may be willing to work with you on some sort of apprenticeship. The classes can only teach you so much, the background helps but you just can't learn like you can in a shop.

I was in a full time program through the local CC, half a semester in class half in the shop. The classroom part was completely worthless. About 3 or 4 of the kids in the class cared about anything. Everything was dumbed down and slow, class let out 2 or 3 hours early every day because noone wanted to be there. The day after a very simple test the 4 of us who cared and got perfect scores would be sent home so the instructor could go over the stuff again with the ones who didn't care. I was 26 at the time and not living with mommy and daddy, 4 months without work but plenty of bills was doable but not fun. I told the department head why I was quitting, I dont think he cared he had to keep his "succesful graduation" numbers up.

Before this I took a few night classes at the same CC. The people in that class were 18 to 60, a few hobbyist types and those who were working and wanted to learn more. The difference was night and day the classes moved hard and fast. One two hour class taught more than a week of the "full time" garbage.

If I had it to do over again I would have gone straight to the shop. Whatever shop would hire me as a helper and took some night classes at the same time. I learned far more as a helper than any classroom. School does help you pick things up a lot faster and keep you from having to be babysat as much.

 

[larry_g]

If you are in contact with or still working at teh BMW dealer than ask there. Where do they look for new hires, do they have factory prefered schools, do they sponser students. All things that you may already have at your avail. Me I wanted to be a mechanic and went on to one of the best schools in the area and did a year there. I was subject to the draft lottery and made the top 10 so my chances of not getting drafted were about zero. I joined the Air Force and the recruiter when getting back my test talked me out of going in to be a mechanic, instead go into the electronics field. I did as he advised and to this day think it was one of the best pieces of advise I have ever received. After the military I worked as a mechanic for awhile and found that it was about 5% thinking and troubleshooting, and the rest was just manual labor. After a year of twisting wrenches I went back to school and got a degree in electronics. I was hired into one of the large hitech companys as a maintenance tech. I spent a career working on machines that were clean, pecision, and surounded by people who were great. Its a whole lot nicer working at a bench in an airconditioned room that it is doing basically the same work jammed up under some cars dashboard. I spent many hours working on my cars, building a few, and enjoying a great hobby.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[CarCrafter]

As a professional tech, I would advise you to stay away from either one of these schools unless you have money trees in the back yard. If you go in with the belief that you are going to learn a lot and sail right on to a bright future with high paying results, you will graduate to be nothing more than a glorified LOF specialist doing nothing but oil changes and tire rotations all day. Of all the kids I've seen who have came from both these schools, most still can't figure out the basic relationship of 2 to 1 between the crankshaft and camshaft.

You do get out what you put into it, but I'd just as soon invest in a local CC and find a shop with a tech that is willing to work with you. You'll have to be willing to work hard and earn your way into the business through actual hands on lessons.

 

[Daedalus]

+1 on the local CCs. I've taken several classes at El Camino. A couple years ago I think I was still paying about $20 a credit or something. The book cost more than the tuition. Instructors there all have 20+ years in the field. Grading is easy...you'll pass if you just show up. But if you really want to drink from a firehose and learn all you can, the books/instructors are there for you. The shop is fairly well equipped. My only gripe is the classroom materials could be better...they literally had slideshows and videos from the '50s. Blame the CA budget for that one.