rust in the eye
Well-known member
A friend hired a graduate of one of these schools, forget which. The guy was clearly not prepared to work independently on customer's cars. He sent him packing real soon.
My $.02
My $.02
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Wyotech or UTI?
- Thread starter WhiteTrash
- Start date
I don't really understand the USA college system for vocational education besides watching Paul " Scannerdanner" Danner occasionally teaching at Rosedale Tech (it looks like a nice facility) presumably in PItsburg??
In the UK I did an apprenticeship (four years), you worked in a regular workshop starting with menial chores under a mentor and learning the ropes and went to technical school one day per week to study theory, if you decided to specialise in a particular aspect of vehicle repair you took another module (usually night school or manufacturer specific training). You got a trade certificate (City and Guilds) at the end of the process
It's a complicated issue. The government has allowed education to become another private for-profit business. If you attend one of these schools (like I did), your experience will vary.
Very few companies these days have an actual apprentice program/position anymore. It takes too much time to train/mentor and that lost time is lost profit. I've been in that situation after being promised training.
In automotive for example, the entire industry runs on the number of customers/cars you can get in and out of the shop and how much work/parts you can sell them.
Even fewer have any form of actual in-house education beyond ******** online learning, or a system that mixes actual education at a community college and work. Or even high school kids being able to shadow someone for a few hours as part of their curriculum.
The company I work for now has those opportunities. Honestly, I'm envious, I didn't have the opportunity these young guys have. I grew up in a different time and different place.
It's a lot more difficult and it takes a lot more time to start with an entry level position, be given the opportunity to learn on the job and work your way up to something better. That too is rare these days.
wyo george
Well-known member
A few months ago I hired a guy with ten years experience and fired him within the first month due to incompetence. Apparently experience in an actual shop is worthless too…A friend hired a graduate of one of these schools, forget which. The guy was clearly not prepared to work independently on customer's cars. He sent him packing real soon.
My $.02
… or maybe it’s all up to the individual to decide if they want to be useful or worthless and things like education and experience are simply aids to them being better, but only if they put forth the effort.
RedneckWelder
Well-known member
I don't really understand the USA college system for vocational education besides watching Paul " Scannerdanner" Danner occasionally teaching at Rosedale Tech (it looks like a nice facility) presumably in PItsburg??
In the UK I did an apprenticeship (four years), you worked in a regular workshop starting with menial chores under a mentor and learning the ropes and went to technical school one day per week to study theory, if you decided to specialise in a particular aspect of vehicle repair you took another module (usually night school or manufacturer specific training). You got a trade certificate (City and Guilds) at the end of the process
Apprenticeships are coming back into vogue. Mine was a combination of a shop apprenticeship coupled with a five semester, two year program at a public technical college in a program sponsored by our employing dealers and the brand they represented. Best of both worlds, in between school semesters I was earning an appropriate wage while gaining experience in the shop.
IRQVET
Well-known member
The whole reason I looked this up, was my wife’s brother recently graduated from UTI and got picked up at a Toyota Dealership. But I guess they basically just had him only doing oil changes, so he just got picked at the Post Office as a Mechanic. So I was looking up their salary range, between $50-60K from the quick research I did, knowing he is over $30K in debt in student loans. He is a nice guy but he doesn’t always make good choices, especially when it comes to money.
WAY back in the day I knew a guy who went to UTI, but he never spoke highly about it. And after he graduated, he got a different job (at a Wildland Safari Park) so the only mechanics work he did was on his hot rods at home.
It just got my mind going and I started thinking back of how well those Job Corps students had it. And as staff, we always used to complain that the Job Corps are not promoted very well. Prior to working there, I thought Peace Corps and Job Corps were one in the same, lol.
WAY back in the day I knew a guy who went to UTI, but he never spoke highly about it. And after he graduated, he got a different job (at a Wildland Safari Park) so the only mechanics work he did was on his hot rods at home.
It just got my mind going and I started thinking back of how well those Job Corps students had it. And as staff, we always used to complain that the Job Corps are not promoted very well. Prior to working there, I thought Peace Corps and Job Corps were one in the same, lol.
RedneckWelder
Well-known member
The whole reason I looked this up, was my wife’s brother recently graduated from UTI and got picked up at a Toyota Dealership. But I guess they basically just had him only doing oil changes, so he just got picked at the Post Office as a Mechanic. So I was looking up their salary range, between $50-60K from the quick research I did, knowing he is over $30K in debt in student loans. He is a nice guy but he doesn’t always make good choices, especially when it comes to money.
WAY back in the day I knew a guy who went to UTI, but he never spoke highly about it. And after he graduated, he got a different job (at a Wildland Safari Park) so the only mechanics work he did was on his hot rods at home.
It just got my mind going and I started thinking back of how well those Job Corps students had it. And as staff, we always used to complain that the Job Corps are not promoted very well. Prior to working there, I thought Peace Corps and Job Corps were one in the same, lol.
IMHO UTI or similar at 30-40k for the program is a poor value compared to getting an essentially identical degree from a local tech school for a hell of a lot cheaper. Our tech colleges are even running free tuition programs right now.
UTI does have the market cornered on flashy advertising though.
finn
Well-known member
I hired a couple of Wyo grads as dyno technicians.
Not some of my best recruits, I would say, in retrospect.
Good talkers, but not much in the way of smarts or work ethic, nor were they really interested in learning.
one was killed in a drunk driving incident about a year or two after hiring him. You can guess which party was the drunk driver.
We had much more success hiring grads of local public community colleges.
Not some of my best recruits, I would say, in retrospect.
Good talkers, but not much in the way of smarts or work ethic, nor were they really interested in learning.
one was killed in a drunk driving incident about a year or two after hiring him. You can guess which party was the drunk driver.
We had much more success hiring grads of local public community colleges.
IRQVET
Well-known member
IMHO UTI or similar at 30-40k for the program is a poor value compared to getting an essentially identical degree from a local tech school for a hell of a lot cheaper. Our tech colleges are even running free tuition programs right now.
UTI does have the market cornered on flashy advertising though.
Community college does offer alot of bang for the buck. But there are draw backs IMHO, depending on if your college is on the semester vs. quater system. The length of time can be problematic for folks, which I completely understand. I came from California originally, where junior college was $12 per unit, which was a stupid cheap value. But there were drawbacks being on the semester system (4 month long semesters) as things took alot longer to complete. Then I transferred to a college on the quarter system, and learned I could make almost twice the amount of credit in half the time. If you can find a community/ junior college with a cheap tuition rate, and their on the quarter system, its the best of both worlds, and you’d be insane not to take advantage IMHO.
So trades schools offer a quicker path to completion, which provides value, but man are they expensive.
But youth is wasted on the young, and hindsight is always 20/20.
I just hope someone can benefit from this . . .
Last edited:
RedneckWelder
Well-known member
our tech colleges are rolling out expedited programs to get people through school and into the workforce instead of drawing it out for that reason.Community college does offer alot of bang for the buck. But there are draw backs IMHO, depending on if your college is on the semester vs. quater system. The length of time can be problematic for folks, which I completely understand. I came from California originally, where junior college was $12 per unit, which was a stupid cheap value. But they were on the semester system (4 month long semesters) so things took alot longer to complete. Then I transferred to a college on the quarter system, and learned I could make almost twice the amount of credit in hlf the time. If you can find a community/ junior college with a cheap tuition rate, and their on the quarter system, its the best of both worlds, and you’d be insane not to take advantage IMHO.