“Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common on Arizona roads, and there is growing demand for certified technicians to service these and other next-generation vehicles,” said General Manager Mark Witthar of Sanderson Ford, in Glendale, Ariz. “The Ford FACT program is providing UTI-Avondale students with the hands-on skills they’ll need to service all kinds of Ford cars and trucks, including our growing line of hybrid and electric vehicles. We’ve been longtime partners with UTI and continue to rely on its Ford FACT graduates to join the growing Sanderson Ford family and service our customers.”
The Universal Technical Institute (UTI)-Avondale campus is rolling out new curriculum in its Ford FACT (Ford Accelerated Credential Training) program to prepare its students to keep the next generation of electric vehicles on the road. Demand for automotive technicians with the knowledge and skills to service these electric vehicles has become essential to automakers like Ford.
"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 rewarding, lifelong career in the transportation industry,” said UTI CEO Jerome Grant. "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 supplying automakers like Ford with the skilled technicians they need to adapt to consumer demand."
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.
“Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common on Arizona roads, and there is growing demand for certified technicians to service these and other next-generation vehicles,” said General Manager Mark Witthar of Sanderson Ford, in Glendale, Ariz. “The Ford FACT program is providing UTI-Avondale students with the hands-on skills they’ll need to service all kinds of Ford cars and trucks, including our growing line of hybrid and electric vehicles. We’ve been longtime partners with UTI and continue to rely on its Ford FACT graduates to join the growing Sanderson Ford family and service our customers.”
The new Ford EV curriculum features 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 is providing a new PHEV vehicle to each campus offering FACT 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.
Ford FACT is part of UTI’s Manufacturer-Specific Advanced Training (MSAT), which includes a number of 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 @news_uti.
