We congratulate all the competitors who participated in this year’s Top Tech and Auto Tech Challenges,” said Roger Gomez, campus president at UTI-Lisle. “These competitions and opportunities provide invaluable exposure to real-world, future automotive careers. We are pleased to have welcomed these students onto our campus and were impressed by their initiative to explore these growing industries.
LISLE, Ill. (Feb. 23, 2023) – Universal Technical Institute-Lisle (UTI-Lisle), a division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc (NYSE: UTI) and a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation and skilled trades education programs, welcomed high school students from around the region to compete for a total of $76,000 in grants using in-demand automotive technology skills and knowledge in two separate competitions, the Top Tech Challenge and the Auto Tech Challenge.
Students on the winning team of two, Tyler Anderson and Quinten Osburn of Crown Point High School in Crown Point, Ind., demonstrated proficiency in all competitive areas. They can now advance their skill sets by utilizing their scholarship grant at one of 14 UTI, MMI or NASCAR Technical Institute-branded campuses nationwide.
Jake Anderson and Ben Strupp of Holmen High School in Holmen, Wis., finished second, each walking away with a $7,500 grant, and Alex Werfelmann and Dillon Carstensen of Elkhorn Area High School in Elkhorn, Wis., came in third, each winning $5,000 grants.
“We congratulate all the competitors who participated in this years’ Top Tech and Auto Tech Challenges,” said Roger Gomez, campus president at UTI-Lisle. “These competitions and opportunities provide invaluable exposure to real-world, future automotive careers. We are pleased to have welcomed these students onto our campus and were impressed by their initiative to explore these growing industries.”
In its second year, the Auto Tech Challenge allows academic students without a traditional vocational education to compete individually for grants. Derek DeJong of Heritage Christian High School in Dyer, Ind., took top honors in that competition, earning a $7,000 UTI grant. Carson Salamon, a homeschooled student from Indiana, placed second for a $5,000 grant, and Christopher Cassell Jr. of Springfield High School in Holland, Ohio, came in third, winning a $3,000 grant. The fourth and fifth place winners were each awarded a $1,000 grant.
The automotive industry is projected to experience increased demand for highly trained professionals due to growth, net replacements and retirements from the trade. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, the transportation industry will have to fill more than 101,000 combined auto and diesel technician job openings annually on average through 2031. [1]
About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) (the “Company”) was founded in 1965 and is a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades and healthcare education programs, whose mission is to serve students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers across a number of highly-skilled fields. The Company is comprised of two divisions: Universal Technical Institute (“UTI”) and Concorde Career Colleges (“Concorde”). UTI operates 16 campuses located in 9 states and offers a wide range of transportation and skilled trades technical training programs under brands such as UTI, MIAT College of Technology, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute and NASCAR Technical Institute. Concorde operates across 17 campuses in 8 states, offering programs in the Allied Health, Dental, Nursing, Patient Care and Diagnostic fields. For more information, visit www.uti.edu or www.concorde.edu, or visit us on LinkedIn at @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and @Concorde Career Colleges or on Twitter @news_UTI or @ConcordeCareer.
1 The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the national average annual job openings in each of the following occupations between 2021 and 2031 will be: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, 73,300; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists, 28,500. Job openings include openings due to net employment changes and net replacements. See Table 1.10 Occupational separations and openings, projected 2021–31, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, viewed January 23, 2023. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
