LONG BEACH, Calif. – The popular summer program “Summer Ignite” that helps local high school students make critical decisions about their post-secondary educational options kicked off today at the Long Beach campus of Universal Technical Institute (UTI), a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades and energy education programs.
“Our free Ignite program introduces a new generation of young students to a UTI education and the fulfilling career opportunities that await in the skilled trades,” said UTI Division President Tracy Lorenz. “It’s critical that we bring programs like this to our campuses, especially in the Long Beach area, so that we can deliver the trained technicians our employer partners in Southern California and throughout the state need. But it’s also important that we provide prospective students with opportunities to fund their education.”
The free, three-week program includes the same introductory technician course taken by new UTI students. The offering allows high school students who successfully complete the three-week program to earn course credit that can be applied to their transcripts if they later enroll at UTI after graduating high school.
“We invite everyone to come take a tour and see the hands-on lab training, experiences and problem-solving these high school students spend time working on,” said Long Beach UTI Campus President Anthony Pham. “We know the need has never been greater to open eyes and show students the high demand for skilled workers in these transportation and skilled trades fields and how important it is for them to find these opportunities here close to home.”
The Long Beach campus accepts students interested in programs designed for careers in auto, diesel, auto body repair, welding, and aviation technician. Students from more than 20 different local high schools have already signed up for the Ignite program this year. Long Beach ranks as the third-largest city in Southern California and home to a large number of automotive companies and dealers. UTI’s Long Beach campus is conveniently located near numerous freeways to give you better access.
UTI-Long Beach also hosts high school students for competitions such as Skills USA and the Top Tech Challenge/Auto Tech Challenge, giving them a chance to win tuition grants. A total of $46,000 in Top Tech scholarships were awarded in 2022 alongside $10,000 in competition grants. High school seniors in the Summer Ignite program are encouraged to apply for the “American Dream Grant” including up to $2,500, with a total of $475,000 available annually to 380 students maximum across the nation. Grant awards are based on how students do on a written test containing both academic and technical questions.
“I’ve seen dozens of high school students participate in past sessions of the Summer Ignite program and I’m never surprised to see which ones return to enroll in the real program. They see those credits applied which gives them a real head start,” said Bruce Wren, Director of Education at the Long Beach Campus of UTI. “I’ve been teaching courses for years and I can tell when the students have the passion for this work. And like we always quote around here, that old philosophy has never been more important than today for these high school students to internalize: ‘Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.’”
Using industry tools and technology in the same facilities as our full-time students, Summer Ignite students have the opportunity to train with caring expert instructors in hands-on experiential labs sponsored by well-known brand-name manufacturers. The skills taught in the program are the same as those included in some UTI courses but at no cost to students.
Summer Ignite participants must satisfy standard eligibility criteria prior to acceptance into UTI.
For more information or to register for “Summer Ignite,” visit uti.edu/programs/ignite. For a full list of the scholarships and grants available at UTI, visit uti.edu/financial-aid/scholarships-grants.
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.
