wyotech

[mp3deviant721]

I go to a local, state run tech school. The teachers there say that those privately owned schools aren't the best to get an education. With what some of you guys are saying, I tend to agree with what they say. I'd stick with some state run school. I don't know how it is out there but at our school, we get to work on actual customer cars and figure out real world problems. It also helps to get a job in the field while you are in school. You get to learn on the job and at school. Take it from me.

 

[adsm08]

I went through the ASSET program. I worked with a guy who went through UTI. He was an idiot.

It is a program that you have to put the time and effort into. A lot of guys in my program didn't put much into it. They didn't get much out either. I started out knowing the least about cars. I graduated near the top (#3) of the class. The other two guys had been building cars with their dad's almost since they could walk.

Wyotech specializes in toys. Their program doesn't prepare you for anything you are likely to find in the real world.

UTI just fails to prepare you. Bill did in 6 months what it took me 2 years to do. I don't feel the need to elaborate on the implications for program quality there.

The local community college is probably your best bet. Some of the best tech's I've worked with went to community college programs. Just take every class they will let you, and if you see one you want that your adviser says you don't need, take it and call it an elective.

 

[Ranger44]

My community college IS one of the VERY few community colleges that offer the Ford ASSET and MLR programs. Ford, as alot of other manufactures pulled educational support back in 2001. Anybody who wasn't already slated for the program lost all chances. Not sure what it's like now, but a year or two ago it was all still a pipe dream to get Ford to sponsor a program.

We were getting some cars, but they were usually a year or two old and "flood" or "damaged" vehicles. Not the best, but still worth having.


I hold a FORD MLR cert right now. Besides me not having the time, I need to apply for my other certs and get them sent to me. I have reached the requirements.

 

[badmts]

A good friend (Tom Hooper) owns Nashville Auto Diesel college so I am prejudiced but we hired a wyo tech grad and he quit after about 12 weeks -he could not grasp rear drum brakes or mounting low profile tires. But I will always tell you youngsters to go into the service (Army or Air Force) like I did ,got my BA ,saw 6 foregin countries got out and got into managment -cost to me Z-E-R-O !

 

[WNY964x4]

I go to a State College here in NY (SUNY Alfred) , and some of our teachers actually hel write the textbooks that all the good schools use , all the teachers there are ASE Certified , we have Auto Tech , Auto Body , Heavy Truck and Diesel and a Motorsports Program , It takes 2 years and you come out with an associates Degree , and then you can opt for a 3rd year to get any other degree in Automotive you want (Currently in my 3rd year , Graduated Automotive Service , Taking Heavy Truck)



Here there are at least 2 instructors for every Freshman Course , Freshman Year is Divided up between 4 Courses

Auto Tech : 1. HVAC-R , PM and NYSI , 2.Basic Electronics and Welding , 3. Tune Up , Diagnostics and Computerized Controls(Basic) , 4. Brakes , Steering and Suspension

Auto Body : 1. Basic Electronics and Welding , 2. Rust Repair , 3. Steering , Suspension , Chassis Geometry 4. NYSI , PM , HVAC-R

Diesel : 1. Tune Up , 2. Basic Electronics and Heavy Truck Welding ,3. Brakes Steering and Suspension , 4. NYSI , PM and HVAC-R

and all classes freshman year are filled with requirements , no dilly-dallying , and you have to provide your own vehicle



Senior Years are divided the same way , i do not know auto body's classes

Auto Tech : 1. Engines , 2. Transmissions , 3.Advanced Electrical and Diagnostics , 4. Service Management , Hybrids and Alternative Fuels

Diesel : 1. Fuel Systems , 2. HD Drive Train , 3. Engines , 4. PM , Air Brakes and Elec./Hydraulic systems

These classes are a mixture of Student and Live Customer Work , All Classes are 7.5 Weeks Long , Lecture is 1.5 Hours , Lab Work is 4 hrs



and here is an example of some of the Teachers

Freshman Auto Suspension : Sean Haggerty , Tony Stewart's Former Chassis Man , Alfred Grad

Freshman Auto Tune Up : Kent Johnston , SCCA Racer , currently fields a highly Modified 1992 Mustang

Freshman Auto Cooling : John Garripa , one of the highest scores on all ASE exams , Mitchell1 Educator of the Year 2009

Senior Auto Engines : Gary Troutman , 30 years Experience build Race engines for Dirt cars , Races in the Lucas Oil Sprint Car series

Senior Auto Transmissions : Mike Ronan , ASE Board for Transmissions Test , Consultant for the people who write the Text Book , Eclectic Work Background (Equiptment Operator at Landfill , BA in Economics , 2 years at Georgetown law , 7 Years at a Rolls-Royce Dealership in San Francisco , 6 Months at a Shop in Anchorage , Owner of his own Transmission Shop) , Consultant for Mercedes-Benz

Senior Auto Advanced Electrical : James Fleischman , Builds cars for SEMA Shows

Senior Diesel Transmissions : Dennis Conrad , Drivetrain Man , Chicks Dig It Pulling Team (Ram 3500 5.9 Cummins built to the hilt)

every single teacher at this school has several years experience in Dealerships and other shop settings , most work in shops during the summer break



and the best part is it is $3500 per Semester , 4 Semesters to get one Degree , so $14,000 Total , you do have to buy your own tools but you get 50% off Mac and Snap-on


we had a student that graduated my freshman year , Reps From Mercedes-Benz in Savannah Georgia flew up and offered her a job and apartment and the money to move her down there after graduation , when she told them she already had plans for a summer job in yellowstone park that lasts till mid september , they told her they would see her then and gave her a check for the amount to move there , that is how desired the grads of this school are


and my sole choice for going there was that a Service Manager at a Chevy Dealership told me that if he had 2 applications , one for a student from UTI and one for a student from Alfred , he would pick the Alfred student every time

that is just my 2 cents

 

[cammeddrz]

UTI just fails to prepare you.

if we're going to talk about uti now i have an even worse anecdote

my uncle, graduated uti, and to this day swears that as an older chevy truck was ilding past him he heard it suck the air filter through the intake, and then saw it come out the exhaust and kept driving no less!

 

[swynx]

if we're going to talk about uti now i have an even worse anecdote

my uncle, graduated uti, and to this day swears that as an older chevy truck was ilding past him he heard it suck the air filter through the intake, and then saw it come out the exhaust and kept driving no less!

i guess local state college it is. i was just really lookin for a package deal in schooling so i didnt have to go for like 6-7 years. but if id be better off that way then ill give it a shot

 

[cammeddrz]

now take all of this with a grain of salt, it has been said on this thread before, and i'm just reiterating. it is all about how you approach it if you really work and try to participate in the curriculum you will learn something and graduate, if you coast and don't try, you'll learn nothing but still graduate.

and that is why certs from those schools are useless to an employer. what really matters to them most is experience. i started at 15 at jiffy-lube which gave me enough experience to step up to better shops, and again, and up until this past july i was service mgr of a dealership (which went under sadly). and not only that but 2 of my best techs had no formal schooling, just 20 yrs experience