Anyone ever been to Wyotech school? My 18 yr. old son just applied to the Sacramento school. He's interested in collision and custom fabrication. It's a 48 week program for $29,500. I was just looking for some feedback from anyone who might have been through there program. Thanks.
Wow, the way I came up you started at the bottom and worked your way up and learned. I didnt start out 30 grand in debt, they paid me.
Nothing wrong with an education. Times have changed from starting at the bottom and working your way up! Ask the school for a list of recent grads, try to contact them and see what they think. 29five seems like a lot for 48 weeks. What are the class day lenghts? How many hours per day do they get hands on? Fenderless
Just an opinion - I have watched a friends Hot Rod business hire several Wyotech grads over the years and not been very impressed. Their basic skill set is never very well developed, and welding skills are never very good.
It cost about the same to go to Airframe and Powerplant school but yeilds a much higher starting wage.
There's nothing wrong with education, but if I was going to get into that field of work, I'd go ask around all the shops in the area and try to get hired on doing whatever they need an unskilled worker for. (Sweeping floor, taking out trash, etc.) just to get on the payroll. Then I'd take classes at my local community college to pick up some skills, and move my way up the shop I work in, until I'm in a position I want to be in.
i am working on my masters, and i am spending a smidge more than that number. don't do it. Like kids who want to go to cooking school as an alternative to regular college...honestly, go work at your local diner if you want to learn to cook. then decide if it is for you. PS...the local JC will probably help alot. a 30k loan over traditional loan terms will cost him about 50k in the end.
I went to wyotech in laramie in '05. They had just been bought out and seemed to be going downhill then. I took ASM, Auto (mechanical), and Chassis Fab. ASM was ok for learning business basics, but the auto program was the same shit I learned at the community college the prior year. I did learn alot of welding skills in chassis fab, my instructors were ex-chassis builders for pro-racing teams, so I think our class was the exception to the rule. I would suggest he take some auto and welding classes at a community college. Going to get alot of the same education for 1/4-1/2 the price.
I dont think much of it. They take a week to disassemble a wreck at a body shop it takes a couple hours. nothing replaces the experience you get at a real shop. Your going to start at the bottom if you go to school or not. you cant come into a body shop and be the painter or main body guy because you went to school for four months. It takes many years of real experience to learn it. So save your money thier not going to show you anything worth 30 thousand.
It is what you make of it. The vast majority of that kids there either thought they knew it all already, or were just there because their parents told them they had to go to school after high school so they chose Wyotech. There is plenty offered for the students to learn if they open themselves up. I passed all the 8 ASE Master Tech tests before I finished the auto tech class there, and I STILL learned a bunch. I was there to learn. To people looking to hire Wyotech grads, look into their grades while there, but much more importantly their attendance record. If they showed up late and missed a bunch of days, chances are they didn't care to be there much and probably were one of the guys who knew it all already. That said, even one of the good new grads is going to need some real world guidance before they reach their full potential.
All "For Profit Universities", all of them, no exceptions are just that "FOR PROFIT UNIVERSITIES". They are there to make money, not to train students. Do your homework. A lot has come out about them lately, all of it bad news for students...not bad if you're an investor, but if you're a student, forget it.
Perhaps you're canvassing the wrong audience regarding continuing education. Your question " anyone been to Wyotech?.....Feedback from anyone who might have been through their program" was responded to in the negative only by non-graduates. A solicitation of those actually initiated will garner the answers you seek. Regards, Ron
Been covered quite a bit. Do a search, it should net you a lot of results. If automotive is something he wants to do for a living, have him try and find a job at a shop so he can see the demands and skill required. Then he can go to the JC and take welding courses and anything else he wants and still come out better. At Wyo he won't have a degree or anything like that to show for his effort. I know. I went. The reputation that the majority graduates give the rest is far too great to overcome. I've had employers interview me and tell me their last (insert ANY number here) Wyotech guys didn't work out. I think they just call Wyo guys in to tell them that. I mean, they know these guys lack the "real world experience". Why call them up? Anyway. It's y'alls call. I wouldn't if I had the chance again. In most cases the auto business isn't really a living, it's survival.
Don't do that, I paid just about the same amount for two years at a trade school to become an electrician! The big difference (besides the cost) is that 19 out of the 20 people in my class had accepted employment offers months before graduating, and every single one of us were employed upon graduation.
I am a 2010 graduate. In September 2010 I flew from overseas to the Sacramento Wyotech campus to check it out. I took the test and signed up. I had plans of going there. Then someone on the HAMB told me about Hot Rod Institute in South Dakota. My plans changed and I wanted to go there. I went and checked it out and it was a smaller school with more emphasis on the teacher helping an individual student. They also had a nice sized facility, and was set up like a hot rod/custom shop so you get the feel for it. Only problem was I had to wait a year for them to get accredited because I am not a U.S. citizen. So, I had planned to wait a year and then attend HRI. I am not the kind of kid who likes to sit around so I went straight to the HAMB and asked if anyone would be willing to take me on as an apprentice. I happened to Alex Gambino at Gambino Kustoms send me his phone number. Needless to say I called him from overseas and we worked something out. I flew back to Canada got my drivers license and an old car and drove down to San Jose. I learnt more during my six months there, than I have learnt my whole life. It was my first time away from family so I learnt how to deal with money, cook, clean, etc. As far as cars go... I learnt so much it's not even funny. I started sweeping floors and pretty soon I was assembling a street rod chassis, shaving my car, converting a four door into a two, and chopping a car. I also got to travel with Alex to all the big shows. I met everybody involved with the scene, and got to talk and hang out with them. I pretty much got to live the custom lifestyle and eat, breath, and sleep it. I also took a Gene Winfield metal shaping class when I was down there, and that was also worth it. All in all my experience was great, I may not have walked away a master at anything but I sure as hell got the basis of everything. I got to try everything out and learn the basics of everything from wet sanding to mig welding to light metal shaping. We did have someone at the shop who had went to Wyotech, he was very skilled fabricator/body guy. He also put the time in at Wyotech. Wyotech is a good school if YOU put in the time. You are not going to learn anything but not actually wanting to learn and putting 110% in. From going to Wyotech to visit, and meeting other graduates, I think if I was going to me a mechanic or body guy I would definatly go there. I also know of kids that didn't really give a shit and they got nothing out of it. What is your son wanting to do? Does he want to build hot rods, customs, vans, lowriders, etc. Or does he want to work at a Toyota dealership or a body shop? If he want to build customs/hot rods I would strongly suggest Hot Rod Institute. They are on top of things and constantly emailing me updates while Wyotech screwed my start date up and everything else. If he wants to be a mechanic/body guy go to Wyotech, just be ready for the administartion and secretarys to screw some things up. Here is the link to HRI... http://www.hotrodinstitute.com/ I hope my rant was somewhat helpful...
29,500 for 48 weeks? I like the ad where the young guy says" I can do bodywork,weld ,paint,I can do it all!" My son went to the local college for a 6 month pre apprenticeship course in sheet metal/aircraft structural. It cost 1500.00 . Last year he finished his four year apprenticeship as a heavy metal fabricator .There is no fast way to experience and you cant buy it. I would be choked if after 48 weeks and 30k investment if my kid decided that maybe this wasn`t the thing for him.
My son has a friend who went to Wyo Tech, since getting out of school I understand he is doing well tinting windows for dealerships..... I want to think he could do what he is doing now and could have spent 30K less. Might just be me though...
Thats alot of money for that school. Look into the local comunity college and see what they offer. I went to Cerritos College in Southern CA, in the mid 80's and that got my foot in the door at a body shop as an apprentice painter. Ive seen the WYO grads at some customers over the years and they are good kids however they are extremely green just as they would be from a community college but they did were carrying that student loan that may prevent them from taking a good opportunity to learn because they need to make a few dollars more at that moment. Just a thought.
Might reapeat some stuff but I might as well throw it in the pot since... I have been... and I have graduated... and yes I'm in a lot of debt Sounds like your average college experience no matter where you go. This one is juuuuust a bit more expensive Besides it being expensive it has a terrrrible reputation. It's almost harder to get a job after that school than before! Keep in mind though, that doesn't mean it's a bad school cuz one can learn a lot there. But it does take a certain kind of person to make use of that kind of school, take in the knowledge at a very fast pace, and have a good mechanical understanding going into the school. The reason why many people think it sucks and why it has a bad rep is cuz there are thousands of kids that watch power block see and hear of all this cool shit and think their gonna get on a race team once they graduate. Trust me I've done it. And I dont want to sound cocky with this statment but seriously, a LOT of the kids that go there are a bunch of tools with a "cool" car. With that shit talking about the school being said... I wouldn't trade my time there for anything! If given the chance to start over knowing what I know now would I go there? No. But this could vary from person to person... Again I dont wanna sound cocky but I was at a different level of experience from the rest of the students. This is thanks to my highschool for having such awesome tech/welding/manufacturing programs as well as previos job experience. Also, just for the record... I'm currently turning wrenches at a dealership If your son wants to go there to be a mechanic or your average panel beater then it's pointless... but if he wants to learn about the custom end of the deal and he really has a lot of drive for it, then let him go by all means. If he cant get a chance to get into a shop or no possibility of learning the work else where then WyoTech might just be the solution. Just prepare your check book, especially for the Sacramento campus. Laramie is a hick town yeah... but it's one cool ass hick town Also dont think that he will score a sweet job right out of school, and I'm saying even at a regular dealership. It's a long road home, and ya really gotta shine to stick out from the other 3,000 kids that just graduated with the same credits and a very similar resume. Welcome to the 21st century Cheers
i went to u.t.i, and i kind of wish i didnt.sounded all fine and all, i learned alot, but no one is hiring and i have 30 grand of school that doesnt help me right now.
We've had several Wyotech grads come through our shop. Overall, as stated, being a Wyotech grad to us means you have to prove yourself even harder to overcome the bad experiences we've had with them. It can be a good program but the individual makes all the difference. Kids today don't want to WORK. Even our one Wyotech grad now will tell you not to go there, and to get an apprenticeship. I heard him utter those words to someone just the other day. I hear good things about McPhearson, but so far, none of their grads can follow through either. We offerered one a job. He never showed up. We hired a kid to clean up around the shop. Last week he got to take apart a Dodge coupe.
Thanks! Well, I still consider myself to be a kid as I am only 20. Let me tell you all I want to do is work. Straight out of high school I wanted to bust my ass welding and metal shaping. Not all of the kids are the same nowadays. That is just a stereotype.
Good for you. You shouldn't have any trouble getting a job or keeping it, unlike 90% of the Wyotech grads we have hired. Thank your peers for that extra hurdle.
If anyone has questions about the Rapid City area or HRI, PM me. I am here to help. One of the HRI instructors is also on the HAMB and a pal that will answer questions about the school. Trent Mitchell, glad to see you are doing well.
my very good friend went to the Wyotech in PA. He has told me numerous times it was the biggest waste of money and time. He then went to work with Bo Huff in Utah, and learned everything and more. He now builds customs and rods in denver.
i got a buddy here in yuma that did the wyotech thing and he does alright at some things, but you can tell that with the length of the classes, they dont give enough, if any at all, hands on. he is still working at the bottom end of a body shop and the skills he has picked up came long after his completion of the courses...community college is a way better bet...
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