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Free summer program prepares high school students to become auto technicians

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that about 46,000 automotive service technicians and mechanics will be needed to fill jobs through 2026.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Is your high school son or daughter still undecided about their future? Do they like working with cars? Auto-technicians are in high demand right now and the profession pays pretty well.

And a local summer program is helping students land those jobs, too.

The Universal Technical Institute Sacramento is holding a free training program titled "Ignite," which launched July 1, is designed for high school juniors to receive hands-on, state-of-the-industry training on the latest technologies – all while earning course credit.

Fatima Patino joined the three-week summer program because she wanted to learn more about cars and how they function, but never thought the courses would be so interesting to make her want to stay a full two years. 

“I learned so much in such little time, everything is hands-on, no such thing as breaks, and that’s a good thing because you never stop learning,” Patino said. “They get us prepared here, I learned about things I never knew existed."

The program is available during a time period in which the economic need for trained automotive technicians is on the rise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that about 46,000 automotive service technicians and mechanics will be needed to fill jobs through 2026. To help reach that total, the transportation industry will need to fill more than 120,000 technician job openings every year.

“And we are here to prepare for those jobs” Patino said.

While the median salary for auto service technicians was around $43,000 a year in 2017, technicians with experience and certifications can earn six-figure salaries during their career. For some, earning that much money is an incentive.

“I don’t mind making money doing something I love,” Patino said.

Another reason students love the Ignite program is because it highlights, especially for students interested in Career Technical Education, the freedom of going a different route than the traditional four-year college. 

“It’s a different lifestyle, we don’t have summer breaks like traditional colleges, that means we are always learning,” Trey Hennes, a first-year UTI student, said.

Students who are interested in joining the program can apply online or in-person at UTI Sacramento campus, 4100 Duckhorn Drive. Applications are accepted any day and courses start every three weeks.

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