A three-week program for high school juniors will launch this summer across 12 Universal Technical Institute campuses nationwide, including in Long Beach, offering free courses on automotive technician skills for students interested in cars and engines.

High school juniors who live within 25 miles of a UTI campus and fulfill admissions requirements will be able to attend one or more of the summer courses.

Once enrolled in the Ignite program, students learning fundamental automotive, diesel and collision repair technician skills will receive intensive hands-on training that prepares them for testing and receiving UTI course credit, according to UTI.

The first session will take place July 2 to July 20, from 1:00PM to 6:05PM Monday through Friday. The second session will take place from July 23 to August 10, but there is no confirmation of the time for this session yet, confirmed UTI spokesperson Joanne Kerns.

“We’re seeing significant demand for UTI graduates across the transportation sector, and our employer partners tell us they need more trained technicians,” said Larry Hohl, president of UTI’s Long Beach campus. “Our free Ignite program is a great way to both introduce high school students to a UTI education and open their eyes to the many career opportunities available to trained transportation technicians.”

Ignite offers two 3-week summer courses providing students an introductory sample of the programs completed by previous UTI students and how the curriculum emphasizes the high-tech nature of today’s transportation industry. Students are also offered the chance to explore career opportunities in the transportation field while meeting UTI graduates and local employers.

UTI piloted the Ignite program at campuses in Arizona, Texas and Orlando. Officials said students were also prepared for testing to receive credit toward future coursework if they chose to return to UTI full time.

According to new projections, there will be more than 1.2 million job openings in the automotive, diesel and collision repair industries. To help reach that total, the transportation industry will have to fill more than 120,000 technician job openings annually on average, according to UTI.

“Ignite is a great way to get students excited about these careers and keep them engaged as they make decisions about their path coming out of high school,” said Hohl. “If you know a high school junior who has a passion for cars or enjoys working with their hands, encourage them to apply for the Ignite program. They might find a career they love.”

The Ignite program is now accepting applications across UTI’s 12 campuses. For more information or to enroll, click here.

Photo courtesy of UTI.