We’re seeing the demand in California and these new hybrid and electric models are bringing people into our dealership, but what’s especially helpful is showing consumers how we can also deliver the maintenance and technical expertise drivers expect regardless of how customers react to the idea of electrification,” said Lee Cook, Service Manager of Colley Ford in the Inland Empire. “We’re family owned and have served this Inland Empire community for more than 40 years, and that brings trust. Some of our best employees are those who join the team after receiving excellent training at Universal Technical Institute at the Rancho Cucamonga campus.
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. – While manufacturers and car dealerships in the Inland Empire of Southern California are bringing more electric and hybrid vehicles to showroom floors, Universal Technical Institute (UTI) today announced that its campus in Rancho Cucamonga is now teaching an updated program to prepare technicians for the most current Ford vehicle models. The Ford Accelerated Credential Training (FACT) program, one of several manufacturer-specific advanced training (MSAT) programs offered across UTI’s campuses, helps students become a Certified Specialist able to work on Ford’s newest vehicles.
The 15-week advanced training program in Ford FACT opens registration multiple times each calendar year. The program prepares students on Ford's technology, computer diagnostics, electrical, gasoline and diesel technologies as well. 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 nationally.
The new course is another step in UTI's overall EV strategy, which includes enhancing its core curriculum, offering new EV certifications in certain MSAT programs, and developing new training models and partnership opportunities to expand UTI's overall EV ecosystem of learning.
“We’re seeing the demand in California and these new hybrid and electric models are bringing people into our dealership, but what’s especially helpful is showing consumers how we can also deliver the maintenance and technical expertise drivers expect regardless of how customers react to the idea of electrification,” said Lee Cook, Service Manager of Colley Ford in the Inland Empire. “We’re family owned and have served this Inland Empire community for more than 40 years, and that brings trust. Some of our best employees are those who join the team after receiving excellent training at Universal Technical Institute at the Rancho Cucamonga campus.”
UTI helps prepare future technicians to not only fill in-demand positions at dealerships but to service new vehicles coming from manufacturers to meet demand. The expanded curriculum taught today as part of the Ford FACT program prepares students to work on electric and digitally connected Ford vehicles.
“What makes our role unique at UTI is how quickly we invest and update training based on what manufacturers provide to us in our partnership with them,” said Migdalia ‘Mig’ Vazquez-Valle, Campus President of the Rancho Cucamonga campus. “Ford is a great example of a manufacturer offering new models to meet the public’s demand in California for EVs and plug-in hybrids. Our training is helping meet the demand for technicians in this market. The increasing attention on Ford’s electric pickup truck fleets in particular is bringing a lot of positive attention to this work.”
Ford experts have said that the expectation is for annual U.S. industry sales of full-size all-electric trucks in certain segments of the market to be over 300,000 by 2030.
Ford’s all-electric pickup truck F-150 Lighting is one of several models making Ford well known for leading the electric revolution. Ford Motor Company has committed $30 billion to vehicle electrification.
The transition to electric vehicles is noteworthy in California because of Governor Gavin Newsom who issued an executive order requiring all new vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035. State regulators at the California Air Resources Board are now debating policies that could accelerate that timing.
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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 15 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.
