Universal Technical Institute enlists help in effort to expand electrical vehicle training
Phoenix-based Universal Technical Institute Inc. is working to develop educational programming to meet demand for technicians in the electric vehicle (EV) market, and it has enlisted the Bosch Group to help with those efforts.
The courseware collaboration will build on hybrid and EV training that is offered at three of UTI’s California schools, with coverage of high-voltage vehicle operation; EV components, operation, diagnosis and service; electronic principles; and electric battery system operation and testing.
The goal is to offer expanded EV content in its core automotive technology curriculum, as well as add new EV certifications in its manufacturer-specific advanced training programs. The school said it is working to develop new training models and partnership opportunities as part of the effort.
The courseware will be piloted at the UTI campus in Sacramento starting in the fall of 2022 before moving onto other campuses.
The partnership is the latest step in a long relationship between UTI (NYSE: UTI) and Bosch, UTI’s CEO Jerome Grant said.
“UTI has been working with major automotive industry leaders like Bosch for decades to develop technician training that evolves to meet the ongoing needs of the transportation industry,” Grant said in a statement. “Bosch has been at the forefront of some of these new technologies, and we are proud to be working with them to ensure our students continue to receive the industry-aligned training and tools they need to prepare for a lifelong, rewarding career.”
One Bosch manager said his company sees a need for this courseware because many technicians aren’t prepared to work with newer vehicles as EVs become more common, and demand is expected to grow. UTI cited a recent McKinsey report that predicted 65% of new car sales will be electric by 2030.
“Bosch is continually looking for ways to provide the industry with the tools and knowledge necessary to keep up with new technologies,” Shawn Dupui, fixed operations and training services manager at Bosch North America, said in a statement. “Working with UTI to develop an in-depth course will give technicians the training they need to service their customers better.”
In the Valley, EV manufacturing and technology constitutes a growing field, with the likes of Lucid Group, Nikola Corp., ElectraMeccanica, Atlis Motors and others making vehicles or planning to do so in the Phoenix metro. Other manufacturers — such as battery cell maker KORE Power Inc. — are also setting up operations in the area.
UTI has 17 locations across the U.S., including one in Phoenix and one in Avondale.
In recent years, UTI has been working on a financial turnaround after suffering financial and enrollment losses in 2018. By late last year, it was back in growth mode, paying $26 million to purchase the MIAT College of Technology in Michigan. A year earlier, it had paid $44.5 million for its 23-acre Avondale campus.
UTI also said last year that it was on track to open two more campuses in Austin, Texas, and Miramar, Florida, outside of Miami, this year.