In today’s economy, with such a high demand for technically trained students, it is wonderful the Universal Technical Institute is expanding here in Pennsylvania with a new welding program. Senator Pat Toomey.
EXTON, Penn. – (Oct. 27, 2022) – Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI) Exton campus has officially launched its new Welding Technology Training program, gathering staff, students, local employers, and dignitaries including Robert DeSousa, State Director for Senator Pat Toomey, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, October 13. This represents the 11th welding program launched on a UTI campus since the initial program launched in 2017.
The 36-week course trains students on the hard and soft skills needed to prepare for a welding career. Welders are highly sought after in industries ranging from automotive fabrication to aerospace, construction, and virtually every kind of other manufacturing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be an annual average of 49,200 welding job openings nationwide between now and 2030.[1],[2] The Tri-State area is also listed in the BLS’ Top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in welding, soldering and brazing machine setters, operators and tenders.
“In today’s economy, with such a high demand for technically trained students, it is wonderful the Universal Technical Institute is expanding here in Pennsylvania with a new welding program,” said Senator Pat Toomey.
“As the leader of a chamber of commerce in central Chester County, the need for skilled labor is more evident than ever; for the businesses in the region as well as the employees who strive for advancement. I applaud UTI on their new Welding Program and look forward to greater initiatives to support the Exton Region and other areas in Southeastern PA,” said Exton Region Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Ryan.
Additionally, UTI-Exton has welcomed education and UTI-veteran Steve McElfresh as its next campus president. McElfresh returns to UTI as the Exton campus president after serving in the same capacities at the Bloomfield, N.J. campus from 2018 to 2020, and at the Orlando, Fla. campus from 2013 to 2018. UTI-Exton’s previous Campus President, Robert Kessler, has moved South to become the new Campus President at UTI’s NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C.
Throughout his tenure at UTI, McElfresh established himself as an exceptional leader with a strong passion for students and UTI’s mission.
“It’s an honor to join UTI as the next president of the Exton campus. I’m excited to help amplify UTI’s workforce solutions in the greater Philadelphia area, particularly at a time when we’re adding more in-demand programs like Welding Technology Training,” said McElfresh. “We field requests from our employer partners in automotive, diesel and welding all the time, asking us to promote their job openings and find great entry-level candidates for them. I look forward to helping provide our students with a quality educational experience while serving the needs of the transportation industry and local employers.”
UTI’s Welding Technology Training Program includes hands-on training and instruction through a comprehensive curriculum developed in collaboration with Lincoln Electric (Nasdaq: LECO), a global leader in the welding industry.
For more information on Universal Technical Institute’s welding program, visit: https://www.uti.edu/programs/welding.
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 16 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 on Twitter @news_UTI.
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[1] For Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an annual average of 49,200 between 2020 and 2030. Job openings include openings due to net employment changes and net replacements. See https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-separations-and-openings.htm U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, viewed February 4, 2022.
[2] UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
