UTI... what are your guys' thoughts?

I'm thinking about going to UTI in Sacramento. I'm all set up to head out in December. Has anyone on here gone through the program?

 

I went there and I am now an automotive instructor at a community college. I do NOT recommend going to UTI. It is a puppy mill and incredibly expensive. You can get a better education at a fraction of the cost elsewhere. Check near by schools. There are also lots of other private schools. Do lots of research. UTI spends a lot of tuition money on commercials to make you want to go there. Don't fall for the bait.

 

i didnt care for it that much i dropped out 6 months in and now i work for Scotts hotrod sshh dont tell anyone i work there. same school the one in Sac. but everyone is different

 

Waste of money, try your local community college. Some guys I work with went to UTI and all they came away with was a huge loan to pay off,and they can't diagnose a dead battery!

 

when i was there the classes are over filled instructors dont care about you and a good hand full dont know what there teaching half the time there rules are pretty strict and pretty damn lame

 

Here's a story of two brother's, they're nephews of mine. First brother went to a school much like you want to do. Moved out of state, did his schooling and came back and got a job for a GM dealership. Second brother got a job at the GM dealership as a porter by his brother. GM paid the second brother to go to school while he worked for GM. First brother was unhappy.

 

They just hired a guy at work fresh out of uti. From the looks of it they don't teach you a whole lot. Try a community college program or something.

 

http://www.samracing.com/ Check this school out. I just graduated last month. They have a course for block, head, and cnc machining.

 

I have been working in dealerships for 20 years and every one I have met that went there said it was a waste of money. Try a program like the t10 Toyota program or the GM asap program. You work in a dealer and go to school. It's at a community college and you end up with an AA in automotive. It's also much cheeper but it does take 2 years.

 

My brother went to UTI in 1991 and just paid it off last month. He said it was a joke and taught him nothing he could not learn in 3 months working in any shop. Save your cash!

 

Urinary tract infection.

He coulda maybe learned a little with regard to finance instead.

 

As a wyotech grad I agree 100%


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UTI... urinary tract infection. Not as bad as a UDI... unidentified drinking injury.

Bob

 

Go to a school close to home and get a job at a local shop. You'll learn more and retain more of what you learn in school because you will be using your skills right away. Plus having local contacts makes finding a job much easier. Shop owners and dealerships use Vo-Tech as a pipeline for new employees.

Are you really sure you want to work on cars for a living??? It really isn't as fun as it looks....

 

I did the local school thing and then the local job market fell flat on it's face with the 1974-ish energy crunch. I got out of the fixing cars for a living thing in 1980. I don't see how guys do it today, good luck to anyone starting out in the trade.

Bob

 

It really has gotten worse even since I started in Dealers 15 years ago, foreign and domestic.....

Currently in the process of moving on to something else. Its a fun hobby, but I do not care to do it for a living for too much longer.

 

Puppy Mill for sure. Went to Cheyene Aero-tech in the early 90's. Their aim was purely to teach the FAA test, without it making it look like they did. Pure waste of 13 months and $15,000. Now the school is closed and all of our records are in some lost files at Westwood College in Colorado. Don't waste your money go to a decent community college where the instructors have real world experience. Rod

 

Can't agree with this more!!

UTI is a total $$$$$$$ pit!

I used to work in a shop and the guys we'd get out of there were eyeball deep in debt from going there, and weren't actually taught much while there (a lot of them were already "car guys" who thought they needed a degree, thanks to the UTI ads).

Get ASE certified, and go to work.

If you're able to flag a lot of hours VS time on your feet (if you're a fast/hard worker) you'll be able to get good jobs and make some decent money.

From my experience, Toyota and BMW are both great factory shops to work in (as is Lexus, or any "luxury" brand...they pay, benefits, and training are good), but you don't need UTI to get anywhere...as I said, you can do ASE cert and take community college classes for WAY less money and have a great resume to get work.

Skip UTI, you'll be glad you avoided the debt!

 

I went to work for the most knowledgeable shop in my town.Learn the real world problems and tricks from a real tech.Those who can do those that can't teach.

 

Cranberry juice - works for UTI
And its better for you than that technical institute.

No matter what cranberry juice is the answer

 

i have a buddy that went in the same time i did and he graduated from UTI like 3 years ago and hes working at applebees

 

I went there. It's terrible. Save your money and just go get a job at a dealership somewhere.

 

Avoid the Debt. Find a mechanics shop that will let you sweep the floors. Find one with lots of cars out front. Watch and listen for 6 months. The work they do is not a hobby to them. It's business. Listen carefully to the way things work in the shop. Don't talk too much. The grumpiest guy in the place can be highly skilled. Watch him. If you educate yourself, you own the knowledge. If you pay UTI, they own you.

 

Hell we're hiring lube techs, most get an apprenticeship on the floor if they're worth a shit. Now I'm guess a move to Alaska I out of the question


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Not like everyones already said this but I would stay away.

I was signed up to go right after high school (UTI in Chicago) and decided against it.
Im very glad I did. I wasted a few years of slacking off and not doing anything (oh, todays youth...)
But now I am going to my local community college for automotive, its 100 times cheaper, more extensive, and the reputation around here is awesome.
I am in my last semester, working at a body shop, which isnt anything that Im learning here, but I like it more....but anyways, last semster, and the nicest thing, I dont owe them anything, ive worked my a$$ off and paid all my classes in cash. That would be a huge different story if I would have spent close to 30K for UTI or however much it is.

 

Threads on this topic come up on a somewhat regular basis. Not much use doing a search, the responses are pretty much the same. (Maybe this thread has more negatives about UTI than most other threads have regarding whatever private school is being discussed.) Some advice: Ask dealerships and shops in your area what they look for in a new employee. You (or your folks) have paid for your local community college through taxes. They may have a good program for a lot less money. Private schools are part of a financial triangle. You borrow the money from a third party, you pay the school up front, the school makes out. You, the student, "hold the bag". The third party lender will go after you for their money whether you have a job or not. Be very very wary of private schools that make you pay up front.You asked about a school, not about career choices. That said, you owe it to yourself to consider a wide range of choices. There are a lot of good skilled trades that pay very well that should be compared to the auto repair trade.

 

We always called guys from there UnTrained Idiots. Don't waste your money. A good state funded community college is the best bet...and you can get a two year degree for bout half the dough...at least that is the way it is here in Texas. i am sure that other states can beat Texas in this regard.

 

Thanks for all the responses guys.

I just took a tour last weekend, and I must admit, it is all very impressive. But there were a few things that made me very skeptical. For one, LOTS of pretty women greeting you, giving you the tour, working in financial aid, and all the different offices. My "counselor" is VERY pushy with getting the financial end of it going... and he even played a little reverse psychology on me when I told him that I wanted to check out other schools. He was saying how he wanted to "help me in whatever way possible". Sure, help me to line his wallet.

I just live in a pretty remote area, hell of a lot of nothing. The only thing this area has going for it, is the prison. And I definitely don't want to go there and baby-sit the scum of the earth.

I was talking to the mechanic that works on buses for the school district (where im subbing now) and he was saying that it's really tough for a mechanic to survive anywhere.

Ideally I would LOVE to get an apprenticeship doing anything, but in my area there isn't a hell of a lot of opportunity. I'm single, don't have any kids, living with my parents for the being. So I just need to find a good place to get established.

 

Let me clarify, I'm not working as a mechanic. I work in the maintenance/grounds side of the school district. Which would be great, but doesn't look like they would hire anyone for at least another 10 years. Do we have any plumbers here? What does it take to get into that field?

 

Scib, thanks for the response to our comments. So many young people ask for advice and when it doesn't fit their expectations, they ignore it. You seem to be open to ideas. I am presuming (dangerous, I know) that you are a relative youngster. What you do now will determine the direction for the rest of your life. Don't waste your time. If you are not going to go to a major university to obtain a real degree (i.e. engineer rather than a major in the history of furniture or something like that), make it your business to identfy an employer that offers a bona fide, formal apprenticeship. Once you create a list, contact them and see what it takes to get put on the program. If you can't get an apprenticeship, look for a moderate to large company that has upward career paths. From the sounds of it, you are going to have to relocate to get a decent job. North Dakota has 11,000 job openings right now. Contact the State and what services they have to help you find a job.This is not easy, but life is not easy. Struggle now and set yourself up, or struggle the rest of your life.