I know this is a little off the whole bronco subject, but i need some advise from other people that love cars (or at least broncos). Heres the background... im 18, been out of high school almost exactly a year, thought about wyotech and UTI but they were both waaay too expensive. I love cars more than anything. Every aspect of em. I like interior, exterior, engines, chassis, everything. OK, wyotech cost about 26 G's but it takes only 9 months, and has job placement of over 90%. I realized today that i just wasted 9 months in a convergys call center and i have jack to show for it. Honestly, my life is going absolutely nowhere right now. I have almost 3 grand in debt all because of this bronco (you wouldnt believe how much is new on this beast) and still i just have a bronco to show for it. I can get another job here pretty quick that'll take care of that debt in a few months. So heres what i need your opinion on guys... Do you think one of these automotive schools is worth fronting that much money to come away with a pretty good career that i know id at least like (hopefully love, but ya never know) in only 9 months from the time i have my debts payed off???
I know this thing doesnt exactly belong in a bronco forum, but you guys seem to be pretty dang smart and obviously you like broncos if not all cars so your opinion really means a lot to me. Thanx guys.

 

well, I dont know much about mechanics, but I did just start school, from my experience, even as your going through school, you start having more and better job oppourtunities than with only a HS diploma. I dont know the difference between those schools, but I whole heartedly suggest getting a secondary education

 

I don't know a whole lot about training to be an auto technician. I do know that, no matter what you choose to do, you rarely can go wrong getting more education.
Specific to your question, I've heard really good things from a guy who owns an auto shop in SLC about a training facility in Laramie, Wy. I notice that Wyotech has a campus in Laramie, so it very well could be the same place. Don't know anything at all about UTI, so I can't comment on them.

 

I say go for it! Get a student loan which is low interest. I too was looking into this. I'm 27 and graduated from college with a Sociology degree but love cars so much that I'm looking for a career change. Yes Wyotech is expensive as hell but I think its worth it. They have great job placement and you can be making upward of $50K a year starting after graduating depending on where you go. I wish I forgoed college and went the trade school route. Oh well!

 

first of all, hey shorty.. whos the guy in SLC???? thats where i live man!!! maybe i could talk to him and see what he thinks about wyotech. Or since you already know him.. just ask him if it was wyotech he was telling you about.
Second, this is for the dude with bin laden's head being blown off (cool graphic by the way) how much have you looked into it? I looked a little on the net today and the only thing it has is 20-28 grand for the degree depending on which field you go into. What im trying to find out is: does that cover all expenses or is it just tuition and shop fees? I mean that much plus housing, food, car insurance, and everything else could add up to well over 30 grand for one year of school. Even with a great job right off the bat it would take forever to pay all that back and im just not that sure it would be worth it. UTI has no figures at all on their site. Let me know what you fellas find out and everyone else... the more opinions the better so keep em coming!

 

Does your local community college have a two year automotive program?

 

The guy in SLC was actually a shop owner who does a Saturday morning car call in show on KALL 700 AM. They're from Certified Automotive out on West Temple, and I just happened to hear them talking about this issue a month or two ago on their radio show. Best bet would be to call them at the shop, or tune in next Saturday morning (8-10) and ask them then.
Can't speak for the local colleges in SLC, but I'm 99% certain that UVSC in Orem has a decent auto tech program and a diesel tech program, if you wanted to go that route. Almsot certainly cheaper than Wyotech, too.

 

Most of your local technical colleges have a good Auto. program,and you can get help with the money to go to .Just something to think about.

 

CherryColaholic, DO NOT go to this school. I had wasted 1.5 years in one of these automotive technical schools and wished I knew someone else who had warned me before I went. Don't get me wrong the education from these schools are great-but it is not worth the amount of money they are charging. I went to Lincoln Technical Institute and I got a lot out of the school but nowhere close to the amount I paid for.
The best route you should go, is find a shop and start out on the bottom. Get the big Automotive Technology book from Barnes and Nobles. This is the same book they give to you. The best way to learn is through experience. The shop experience they give you is nothing like the real world experience you will gain in a shop. The only difference is you get paid to learn instead of paying someone else.
The placement programs is garbage. I went to school during the day and worked at an automotive volume shop during the nights and weekends. I graduated top of my class and I interned at a shop during my last 2 months of school and got less at the shop than I did at the shop I worked at throughout school.
You will be shocked how easy it is geting a job with no experience at all. Shops want people like you so they can train you thier way. If you want school, I would go to your local college or country trade school. You get the same knowledge for a fraction of the price.
Trust me DO-NOT do it!! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll try to help you out best as I could.

 

Wyotech is a great school i would recomend going there, i have a friend how just got out and i go in for a year here in about 3 weeks. if you have any questions just ask me. my dad is a rep for wyotech so i can find out anything you need to know

 

So how much did you pay? And do you think its really all the placement programs or could it have been just the one at Lincoln tech? Ive tried (not all that hard yet, i admit) to get a couple of jobs like this but nobody will hire without previous experience. I could probably be a tire monkey but thats about it. Do you think i just havent looked hard enuf? Whats your opinion on going to a local school and just taking a couple of classes instead? My biggest problem is diagnosing problems. But fixing problems is easy. Like my water pump. It took four hours but i still say it was easy.. i just took off stuff i needed to get to it, undid all the bolts, put on a new gasket and new pump, replaced everything and it worked fine. With cars everything makes sense... thats why i love them so much and its the reason i want to make them my career. Its the same with brakes.. people think drums are so hard or whatever. To me, you take this off, take that off, move this, put that over there, slide something out, slide new one in, put everything back to its spot. And no, none of that sentence was specific to any brake parts.. i was just making my point. So the main thing im asking is this: were the problems you experienced just specific to Lincoln tech, or is it really any trade school like uti and wyotech? Now dont take this the wrong way, but my future is on the line right now, so if youre just an idiot shooting your mouth of to me, dont bother replying. If youre serious then by all means tell me about your experiences n stuff. It really would help me decide. As soon as i pay off my debts i have right now, i wanna go to school, so i only have a few months to figure out what im going to do.

K so after i posted everything above i realized where i recognized you from wolfman. You have that way cool bronco with the same paint as mine. I think you should have more spotlights on it and that the soft top looks a little weird. But it looks awesome with the top off!!! Seeing what you have done to your bronco i value your opinion a lot more than i did a minute ago (the part where i was asking if youre an idiot shooting your mouth off). So just let me know what you think. I really appreciate it.

 

You have to look at it this way, every master tech out there started as a lube tech or a tire monkey. You have to start at the bottom, learn the basics and theory then keep progressing. I've been talking to several techs who made the mistake of going to different big money type schools (including UTI and wyotech)and they all say the same thing.
I think you are limiting yourself before you begin. You have to tell the manager of whatever store you apply to, you have a strong passion for the automotive as a complete system and you are willing to do what ever it takes to learn. Tools? you are going to buy as you need the different tools.
Keep looking, even if you have to start as a tire monkey, that is better than not starting at all. It is a whole lot better than shoveling over a tremendous amount of money to some organization who looks on you as a number not as a valuable student.
I say go to the local schools and give it your best shot. I think it will give a better bang for your buck.And you will look back on it as money and time well spent.
Nobody is born with the knowledge of knowing how to diagnose. Diagnosing comes with time and learning from making plenty of mistakes and learning from other peoples mistakes. I think you are getting way ahead of yourself. Calm down and relax. Rome wasn't built in one day and you won't know everything about auto technology in 1-2 years of school. I would have forgotten everything from the start of my school if I didn't work in the field as I went to school. As a matter of fact, I feel I learned a hellof a lot from hands on experience than I did from school.How are you going to know what you are doing from just basic theory? You can't, and anywhere you go, if you tell them the truth, and don't paint yourself as a hero, will understand that.
I went to school back in 1996. Back then they were charging 14K. Now at the dealership, the new kids come in and say they are charging 23K. Way too much if you ask me.
I feel your pain man. Really I do. I've been there. Before I started working in the automotive field, I was a communication technician working for the telephone company. I got laid off-just like that. I had a wife and child to take care of. I needed money and benefits to support my familiy and I needed it fast. I knew nothing but telephone systems. I always wanted to be an auto tech but never thought I knew enough. So I, like you, thought my future, as well as my wife and sons, was on the line. Back then telecommunications wasn't as prominant as it is now so I decided to go to school and work and give it my best shot. The only thing I could say about myself was I was very mechanically inclined. And from what you wrote, sounds like you are too. I busted my butt every night and every day. I wanted to come out of that school with honors. And you know what? I did. I was very proud of myself and thought WOW let me take on the world. After graduation, I was just another tech swinging the wrench.
As long as you set goals and keep an open mind. Use your common sense and use good judgement. I think you will be shocked how much you can get and how far you can go without spending a large amount of money to get there.
Hang in there. I just don't want to see so many people get caught in the same trap as so many before you. Like I said before, I got a lot of info from school but nothing that equals the amount I paid. Those schools you mentioned are great schools but not as great as you may think before you sign the contrct to pay them. Pay off your debts get a job anywhere as long as it is in the field and keep going ahead. Never look back, keep making goals and stick to them. You'll see, soon you will be the same tech saying the same thing I am saying to you.
Feel free to ask anymore questions. I am a humble open minded tech just learning as I go from my mistakes as well as the mistakes being made by many of the same people on this board. Besides how else are we going to learn. That's why there are many great forums like this to add support to those who need it.
Oops sorry. You got me blabbing. I let you eyes rest.

 

you know wolf, i think youre right. Thanx so much for opening my eyes. Its just the glamor you hear about all the time that i got caught up in. Go to wyotech for a year maybe, and come out straight into a high paying auto tech job. But now im thinking like this: so what if im not making much money to start out with.. i wont have a huge student loan bill to pay either. Who knows, maybe i will actually have more money with a low paying job to start out with just because of that fact. So now what? Do i just go to Les Schwab and start doing it, or is it better to still go to college and take some auto classes for a while? Let me say it a different way.. if you could go back and start over at 18 fresh out of high school.. what would you do? OK heres a more important question. Do you think im the right type to even go into this field? Do i have the mindset and the right way of thinking? This is why im asking.. heres one of my high school experiences..... So in 11th grade AP math we had to learn about Newton's law of cooling. Dumbest thing ive ever learned. IF you dont know, its a huge formula that will tell you how much something will cool in a given amount of time, or how much time it takes to get to a certain point. Anyway my teacher asked us to figure out how long it would take before you could put icing on a cake without it melting. I said, who cares??? give it a while and later on touch it with your hand, if it feels warm give it some more time. Of course my teacher got angry with me for "thinking too much." Another time he asked us how we would find the height of a building with a barometer. obviously you use the difference in pressure. Being the smart i was, i gave him a few other answers. I said take it to the basement, find the guy that owns the place, tell him you'll give him a barometer if he tells you the height. Or go to the top and tie a rope to it, lower it to the ground, measure how much rope it took. Or go into the stairwell and make a mark of how high the barometer is on the wall... then you have the height in barometer units. Now my passion is cars, but is this the kind of thinking i should have? Besides all that, cars really do seem pretty easy to work on to me like i said earlier. So just tell me what you think buddy. i appreciate it a lot.

 

I think you should follow your dreams and make it reality.

 

i went to a Vo-tech for 2 years and there is still more to learn and they cant place you in a job as good. wyotech will put you in a great job that you love doing and will help you find all the financhial aid you will need. it is only costing me 20,000 for 1 year. ya thats a lot but they will let me pay that off over 10 years so that aint to bad. but i am only 20 and have no other loads to pay