May 19, 2015 - From Classroom to Career: Dealers Offer Jobs to Ford FACT Students During Ford Day at UTI Rancho Cucamonga Campus
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Hiring managers from Sunrise Ford in Fontana meet with UTI-Rancho Cucamonga Ford FACT students as part of the campus’ Ford Day to interview and hire for entry-level positions. |
For 70 Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Ford FACT (Ford Accelerated Certification Training) students and graduates, the Ford Day held on campus had them starting off their day with a test unlike any other. At the head of the Ford FACT classroom sat hiring managers from 14 Ford dealerships, mostly from Southern California, to select students for the ultimate payoff – a job.
Joshua Daniels, 24, was one of the students interviewing for a position and looking to make his dreams a reality. The veteran and father of five hopes to rev up his career as a specialized Ford technician in Maui, Hawaii.
“Past students told me they learned a lot from the Ford FACT Program,” said Daniels. “I thought it would be a great opportunity knowing the auto industry is going to require more specialized technicians in the future as technology increases.”
Hiring managers from each of the dealerships on hand were interviewing for open entry-level technician positions. Among them was Lloyd Mack, Service Director at Sunrise Ford in Fontana. For the past 10 years, Sunrise Ford has partnered with UTI to provide students with job opportunities. In fact, UTI students make up more than 50 percent of the technical staff at his dealership.
“It is hard to find good technicians in a growing industry,” said Mack. “The best way to stay ahead of the curve is to develop a program like Ford Fact at UTI. Ford believes in quality training and savvy technicians so we keep this program going.”
Like Mack, other dealerships found the talent they were looking for in UTI students. By the end of the day, six students were offered jobs on the spot and dealer representatives planned to extend 15 other students.
