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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute (NYSE: UTI) and the mikeroweWORKS Foundation are proving that hard work pays off by awarding scholarships to UTI students who demonstrate a strong work ethic and a big desire to go after their dreams.  

UTI supplemented its initial contribution of $100,000 to mikeroweWORKS' 2016 Work Ethic Scholarship Program with an extra $52,250 donation. UTI also directly awarded additional scholarships of $141,500 in the form of tuition reductions to applicants pursuing careers as transportation service technicians at a UTI campus.

Demand for transportation service technicians is strong. By the year 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor projects there will be more than 1.2 million jobs in the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine industries. To help reach that total, the transportation industry will have to fill more than 37,000 technician job openings on average every year.¹ Industry partners are telling UTI that they cannot find enough trained technicians to fill the jobs they have and, as Baby Boomers begin to retire in droves and the number of vehicles on the road continues to grow, the gap will only widen.

"UTI's support has helped hundreds of young people to launch rewarding careers in the trades," said Mike Rowe, CEO of mikeroweWORKS. "This additional donation demonstrates UTI's commitment to helping young people get the training they need for jobs that actually exist, pay well and help to keep our nation and economy moving."

The mikroweWORKS Foundation's Work Ethic Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to people pursuing an education in a vocational or trade-related program, including students training for careers as professional technicians in the transportation industry. Through the 2016 Work Ethic Scholarship Program, mikeroweWORKS has been instrumental in awarding more than $600,000 in work ethic scholarships.

"Our industry partners count on us to recruit, train and place the technicians they need to serve their customers and grow their businesses. They put equal value on strong technical skills and a solid work ethic, so this scholarship is a perfect fit for supporting the kind of students our employers want to hire," said Kimberly McWaters, chairman and CEO of Universal Technical Institute. "Because we cannot currently meet the growing demand for our graduates, UTI is delighted to invest in and reward the hard-working students who applied for a mikeroweWORKS scholarship and to support their dreams of building rewarding careers as professional technicians."

Mike Rowe, known as "the dirtiest man on TV" from his hit TV series Dirty Jobs and Somebody's Gotta Do It, challenges the idea that a four-year degree is the best and only path for most people, while calling attention to thousands of career opportunities with companies that are struggling to fill jobs that require technical skill and expertise.

The mikeroweWORKS Foundation and UTI partnership specifically calls attention to the rewarding, in-demand careers in the transportation industry. UTI works directly with top transportation manufacturers and employers to develop programs that meet the evolving needs of the industry, preparing students who are highly skilled and ready to work.

Beyond partnering with mikeroweWORKS on the Work Ethic Scholarship Program, UTI offers a wide range of financial aid programs, including over $15 million in sponsored scholarships and other funding that will be made available this year alone.²

For the full list of mikeroweWORKS' 2016 Work Ethic Scholarship recipients, visit http://profoundlydisconnected.com/scholarship.

About the mikeroweWORKS Foundation: The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that promotes work ethic and supports the skilled trades. As CEO of the Foundation, Mike Rowe spends a significant amount of time speaking about the country's dysfunctional relationship with work, highlighting the widening skills gap, and challenging the persistent belief that a four-year degree is automatically the best path for the most people. Through its scholarship programs, including the Work Ethic Scholarship Program, the Foundation provides financial assistance to people getting trained for skilled jobs that actually exist. The Foundation has been instrumental in granting more than $3 million in education for trade schools across the country.

To learn more, visit mikeroweWORKS.org.

About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.: Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the leading provider of postsecondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. With more than 200,000 graduates in its 51-year history, UTI offers undergraduate degree and diploma programs at 12 campus locations across the United States, as well as manufacturer-specific training programs at dedicated training centers. Through its campus-based school system, UTI provides specialized post-secondary education programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech).

For more information, visit www.uti.edu. Like UTI on www.facebook.com/UTI or follow UTI on Twitter @UTITweet, @MMITweet and @NASCARTechUTI.

For information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, visit our website at www.uti.edu/disclosure.

¹ Based on data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2014-2024), www.bls.gov, viewed December 8, 2015.

² Scholarships are available to those who qualify. Specific conditions, criteria and awards vary by state.

SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc.