Universal Tech Institute opens campus in Long Beach to attract aspiring diesel techs

Universal Technical Institute recently opened a new 142,000-square-foot, state-of-the-industry campus in Long Beach to meet the area’s strong demand for skilled transportation service technicians.

The campus has the capacity to train up to 800 students who can complete their education in Automotive Technology, Diesel Technology and Collision Repair and Refinish Technology, and be ready to work in 11 to 18 months. The campus also will offer Manufacturer-Specific Advanced Training for Nissan automobiles, trucks and SUVs as well as the SMOG program, which trains students to take the California smog check inspector license exam.

“Our employer and industry partners are telling us that they can’t get enough skilled technicians to meet their demand,” said UTI-Long Beach Campus President Larry Hohl. “This is especially true in Southern California, where the need for automotive, diesel and collision repair technicians is particularly strong.”

California’s Employment Development Department estimates jobs for automotive service technicians will increase by 15 percent from 2012 through 2022. Nationwide, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be more than 1.2 million jobs in the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine industries by 2022. To reach that total, the transportation industry will have to fill more than 37,000 job openings on average every year to help meet the need.

Service technician jobs in the transportation industry pay well,2 cannot be outsourced or offshored, offer opportunities to move up, and build rewarding, long-term careers.

UTI operates 12 campuses in the U.S., including locations in Rancho Cucamonga and Sacramento. Like UTI’s successful metro model campus in Dallas, Texas, the Long Beach campus will largely serve a commuter population with class schedules that allow students to work while they go to school. Centrally located and near numerous freeways, the Long Beach campus is convenient for students, especially those for whom the Rancho Cucamonga campus is too far away.

“We are excited about the reception and support we have received from the community and local educators,” Hohl said. “Student applications are ahead of schedule; we needed to open an additional session for our first classes.”

Like all UTI campuses, Long Beach will be supported by local employers and major transportation manufacturers. UTI has training partnerships with manufacturers of more than 30 of the nation’s leading transportation brands, including BMW, Nissan, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Peterbilt, as well as with NASCAR. These partners help guide UTI programs, invest in its facilities and give UTI students the chance to work with the most current technology and tools. As a result, students leave UTI with the knowledge and skills that employers want.

Students who complete the core auto or diesel program can study for manufacturer-specific certifications at Long Beach or any of UTI’s other 11 campus locations. The nine-week Nissan Automotive Technician Training program at the Long Beach campus will teach students to troubleshoot, repair and maintain chassis, climate, drive train, electrical and engine systems for Nissan and Infiniti vehicles when it begins in 2016.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia will lead other policy makers and leaders, education officials and transportation industry executives, to commemorate the opening of the new campus at a special ceremony on August 18, 2015, while a formal community grand opening is being planned for October 2015. Tours of the new facility will be offered to the public beginning August 24.