Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI) Mooresville, N.C. campus, NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech), is rolling out new curriculum in its Ford FACT (Ford Accelerated Credential Training) program to prepare its students to keep the next generation of vehicles on the road. Automotive technicians are in demand, and as the electric vehicle (EV) market continues to grow, those with knowledge of high voltage batteries and electric vehicles have become essential to automakers like Ford.
The new course is another step in UTI’s overall EV strategy, which includes enhancing its core curriculum, enhancing and offering new EV certifications in certain manufacturer-specific advanced training (MSAT) programs, and developing new training models and partnership opportunities to expand UTI’s overall EV ecosystem.
The new Ford EV curriculum will feature blended learning courses on High Voltage Systems Safety, Hybrid Vehicle Components and Operation, Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Components and Operation and an introduction to High Voltage Battery Service, as well as a Ford instructor-led class on Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Operation and Diagnosis.
“Ford has been working with UTI for more than 20 years to ensure our students receive state-of-the-industry training to prepare them for a career in the transportation industry,” said Jennifer Bergeron, campus president at NASCAR Technical Institute. “Demand for our graduates remains strong, and by staying at the forefront of new technologies like EV, we are building the workforce of tomorrow and helping supply automakers like Ford with the skilled technicians they need to adapt to consumer demand.”
Ford is providing a new PHEV vehicle to each campus so students receive hands-on training and virtual reality goggles that will be utilized in Ford’s training curriculum. This gives Ford FACT graduates the opportunity to achieve Ford’s High Voltage Systems Certification, in addition to the 11 certifications the program already offers. Ford FACT graduates also train in three additional certification pathways that require certain classes to be taken at a Ford training center.
Nine of UTI’s 14 campuses currently offer Ford FACT, a 15-week advanced training program that prepares students to work with Ford’s exclusive technology, computer diagnostics, electrical, gasoline and diesel technologies. Students are eligible to take Ford FACT after they successfully complete UTI’s core automotive or auto/diesel programs. Since Ford and UTI launched FACT in 1999, more than 25,000 students have graduated from the program.
“Our need for certified Ford technicians is great. Not only can we use these students at our Ford and Lincoln stores, but for other manufactures as well,” said Gary Long, service director at Leith Automotive Group in Raleigh, N.C. “The Ford FACT program at NASCAR Tech has demonstrated its ability to produce top quality students with electronic and computer diagnostic skills, which is very valuable to us as more and more hybrid and electric vehicles are being sold. The future of our shop’s throughput will be growing with these vehicles and we will have a stronger need for technicians trained on them.”
Ford FACT is part of UTI’s Manufacturer-Specific Advanced Training (MSAT), which includes more than 35 auto, diesel, motorcycle, and marine manufacturer brands. For more information or to enroll, please visit www.uti.edu.
About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Phoenix, Universal Technical Institute’s (NYSE: UTI) mission is to serve our students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers. Approximately 250,000 students have graduated from one of UTI’s 14 campuses located across Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Texas. UTI’s campuses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), while its employer-aligned technical training programs are offered under four brands: Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute / Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of Technology. For more information and a complete list of all programs offered, please visit www.uti.edu or follow on LinkedIn @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and Twitter @UTITechNews.
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