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UTI and Volkswagen of America Create New Technician Training Program

26 October 1999

UTI and Volkswagen of America Create New Technician Training Program

         First-Ever VASTT Training Begins This Week at UTI Campus in
                            Glendale Heights, Ill.

    PHOENIX, Oct. 25 -- Universal Technical Institute (UTI), a
leading private career school, and Volkswagen of America (VWoA) have partnered
to create a solution to the technician shortage affecting automotive
manufacturers.
    UTI is providing the training for the new Volkswagen of America Service
Technical Training (VASTT) program.
    Within the next five years, VWoA plans to furnish their dealerships with
2,000 technicians.  As a result, VASTT is the first graduate training program
initiated by VWoA to aggressively attract and retain technicians for its
dealer network.
    VASTT's intensive six-week training program focuses on Volkswagen
automotive technology.  Curriculum is supplied by the VWoA factory and
includes hands-on training and instruction with proprietary scan tools.
    The first class of VASTT students begins this week at the UTI campus in
Glendale Heights, Ill.  Graduates of UTI's basic automotive technician
training program who maintain grade point averages of at least 3.00 and
exemplary attendance records are eligible.
    "We are thrilled to be Volkswagen's educational partner of choice," said
Chris McWaters, director of industry relations, UTI.  "Since the VASTT program
is located on campus, our students receive first-hand exposure to Volkswagen
products."
    VASTT graduates will enter the dealerships as "specialists" in P.D.I,
diagnostics and scheduled maintenance.
    VASTT training is sponsored by VWoA and paid for by the hiring dealer.
"In order to assess the response of our dealers, the northeast region was
selected as our pilot area," said Karl H. Weber, director of quality systems,
VWoA.  "Once the program is fully implemented, VASTT graduates will be offered
positions at dealerships throughout the United States."
    For more information about Volkswagen of America, Inc., log on to
http://www.vw.com.
    Founded in 1965 in Phoenix, Ariz., UTI is recognized as one of the top
technical education institutions in the U.S.  UTI offers accelerated
career-specific training in automotive, diesel, heating/ventilation/air
conditioning/refrigeration, marine, motorcycle and personal watercraft.  The
company has graduated more than 50,000 students and maintains campuses in
Phoenix, Ariz.;  Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.;  Orlando, Fla.;  Glendale Heights,
Ill. and Houston, Tex.  For more information about UTI and automotive graduate
training programs, log on to http://www.uticorp.com.