March 9, 2015 - Billerica Resident Turns His Passion into a Rewarding Career
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Universal Technical Institute graduate Joe Sciortino of Billerica finds career success in growing materials handling industry as a technician with NITCO in Wilmington, Mass. |
Joe Sciortino, a resident of Billerica, Mass., and a May 2014 graduate of Universal Technical Institute (www.uti.edu) in Norwood, credits UTI with giving him the skills he needed to turn his passion for cars into a successful career.
“I wasn’t the best student in high school, but I always liked working with cars and motorcycles, so I was excited when someone from UTI came to my school to let us know about their auto and diesel technician programs. I thought to myself, that’s what I’d like to try,” said Sciortino.
Sciortino graduated from Billerica High School in the spring of 2012 and enrolled in UTI’s 17-month Automotive/Diesel Industrial Technology program that September. An employment specialist at UTI helped him get a part-time job at F1 Boston, an indoor Formula One racing track, working during the week after classes, and he used what he learned there and in his classes to get additional work on the weekends.
“I found something that I was interested in and that was right for me. For the first time in my life, I had a 4.0 GPA and I truly loved going to school,” said Sciortino.
About six months before graduating, UTI’s employment department worked with Sciortino to put together a resume and review full-time jobs and career options, arranged for him to speak with a manager at NITCO, a company that sells and services industry-leading brands of new and used forklifts, lift trucks, aerial lifts, industrial robots, and other materials handling and warehouse equipment. Within a few weeks, Sciortino had an official interview and a job offer before his graduation from UTI in early May.
“Like many companies in our region, NITCO values the skills and professionalism of UTI students and our employment team works closely with their hiring managers to provide the qualified candidates they need to fill open positions at their Wilmington location, and across New England,” said Paul Tavares, UTI-Norwood Campus Director of Employment. “The hydraulics course I took in the diesel program at UTI relates to the material handling that NITCO does and the electrical course work and training I received at UTI has been a huge advantage in my job,” said Sciortino. “I now have a solid foundation that I’ve been able to draw from and build upon.”
Sciortino is an entry-level shop technician, servicing equipment at NITCO’s Wilmington facility, and his long-term goal is to be a field service technician for the company. “There’s a lot of opportunity at NITCO and I’m grateful to UTI for giving me the skills I needed to help start my career.”
