Students, instructors and representatives from Penske Truck Leasing gathered at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) on April 1 for a grand opening event in celebration of the Exton PA campus’ latest addition, a brand new 1,900-sq-ft Penske-branded multipurpose room.
The room will serve as a venue for a multitude of student activities for both students and staff, including presentations, training seminars, student-peer tutoring sessions, as well as an active classroom and lab.
The decision to build the room came as a result of the great relationship UTI-Exton has developed over time with Penske, as well as Penske’s growing demand for highly-skilled technicians, particularly in this region. The company hires a significant volume of UTI graduates and invests a substantial amount in students’ education, as evidenced by the Roger Penske Outstanding Student Award program established among UTI’s 11 campuses nationwide.
Penske Truck Leasing also has established a Diesel Excellence Scholarship program, where a dozen scholarships are handed out each year to UTI students across all campuses.
According to the US Department of Labor, over a million jobs exist today in the auto, diesel, and collision repair industries with growth of 17% projected through the year 2020. Yet it continues to be a challenge for auto dealers and transportation companies across the country to find and hire workers who are armed with the knowledge and experience necessary to adapt and keep pace with the rapidly evolving vehicle landscape.
With a challenging curriculum customized to meet changing industry needs, UTI is providing a solution to our country’s tech shortage by arming students with the hands-on, highly skilled training required to become successful auto and diesel technicians.