Tech schools
 

Hi I am a junior(senior in 6.5 days) and I am pretty set on becoming a mechanic. I haven't quite figured out for sure what I wanna work on yet. If I could have it my way I would like to work on pickups all day, but I don't think there's a whole lot of those places out there. I am really starting to get into diesels after getting my first diesel truck. I dont reallly wanna work on semis or real big equiptment bc of the wear on your body day to day. Farm equipment would be ok wit me since I live on a farm.
So far the only school I have went to visit is UNOH. I thought it looked lyk a pretty decent school with a lot of stuff to choose from and you can get an associates degree. I'd lyk to hear from you guys about your schooling experience and where you've worked and if you lyked of disliked anything. One big thing that worries me the most is pay. Lets hear it.

Get a bachelor's.

I dropped out of a real school to go to UTI.






Get a bachelor's.

Now, if you're like me and have mental problems that prevent you from getting a bachelor's... It sucks and your life is probably going to suck like mine.

I didnt attend UNOH myself, but I do many guys who have. I live about 25 miles south of there and have always heard good reports of the Institution.

i went to uti in chicago was very happy but now out of the shop working for fire departmant but i tinkeron the side still. go give them a look all the instructors were very knoledgeable

i went to PCT. got a associate degree for semis. the only thing I did't like is the book work.

You sound like my grandmother..."get a bachelor's, need a bachelor's, won't make it without a bachelor's...

I have all the tools to get a bachelor's degree...but @ the moment I'm making $40,000 more per year than my well compensated attorney so I consider my choice of vo-tech a valid one.

Just because you have a bachelor's doesn't mean you're successful, and just because you went to vo-tech doesn't mean you're not.

There are plenty of power lineman, mechanics, plumbers, ironworkers, etc that make well into the six figures and have a job they enjoy. There are also plenty of Master's degree holders working at jobs below the poverty level.

Life is short...do what makes you happy....just don't stereotype and pigeonhole. :U:

Motivated people make money. Motivated people with degrees make more money than motivated people without degrees.

The odd fact that skews it, is that motivated people are more likely to not get a degree, while a lot of lazy people do end up getting degrees. That just reflects the society of non-motivation and un-inspiration that infests our school systems. Lazy people usually realize that they can stay in school for five or six years and live an easier life than getting a job.

here's how I look at it. I currently go to vo-tech. I will have a job doing what I like (diesel Mechanic) my senior year getting paid DURING SCHOOL TIME. With any luck, that will turn into a full time job when I graduate. Now, people going to my local High school, what will they be doing there senior year? Probably in school all day and then they will spend the next for years after there graduation in College. Not for me. They may make twice as much as me in 10 years , but maybe not. I plan on probably going to post secondary, like UTI or something of the sort. I'd rater work my butt off than spend 100k in schooling and spend the next 4 years in school after I just got done with 12yrs of school. I always say, If you like what you do, you won't work a day in your life. That being said, I've heard a lot of good stuff about UNOH. They came to my school and talked to us. Sounds like a preatty good program.

agreed

I don't know where you went but my roommate is in UTI down here in PHX. He's 8 months in and can't change his own brakes or his clutch.
Huge waste of money IMO. $36k? You can get a BS for about $40k in state and have a real education. I mean you could even pay ~6k a semester in state and get an AS for under 25k.

I will debate the definition of "real education" any day.

Begle hit it pretty close about motivated and lazy people. Why work hard all day when you can sit behind a desk in an air-conditioned cubicle from 8-5?

Unfortunately, with the public school system being government owned, and the majority of post secondary educational institutions being government owned, there is a bias towards sending kids through the "university" channels to end up with a degree of some sort....it's called revenue stream. Hard to swallow but there is definitive truth in it...

I have tried very hard to understand the logic behind steering 90% of pupils towards a university when the service, crafts, and skilled trade industries contain the vast majority of the jobs in this country and most other countries of the world. Dealing with this almost daily in not only my chosen career field but also with my seat in the Vocational Advisory Council for our local educational services district; it is disheartening to say the least.

I'll stop now before a novel starts up.

The advantage to gettin a degree from an accredited university versus a tech/vocational school is to open up more possibilities for the future. From a tech school your training and qualifications are to turn wrenches as opposed to a university that requires the business, math, and other primary courses that leave you open for more then turnin wrenches.

Nothin wrong with being a good mechanic at all but why not leave the future open for more in case you decide you want something more later in life. My kid finished up his Associate degree in Automotive Diesel from UNOH and decided that wasn't what he wanted to do every day for the rest of his life so he moved on into the medical field now. Because he took actual accredited University program all those credits have transferred over to his new school and apply towards the next degree. If he had done the tech route he would be starting from scratch.

x2

and don't kid yourself any type of mechanicing puts your body through wear and tear.

Mental wear and tear is just as detrimental as physical. Office work can break a person down fast, too.

It comes down to what a person wants to do--like Bubba said getting a quality career (trade) education at an accredited institution is the best first step, just in case a person changes their mind later and wants to do something different.


UNOH has a good reputation, as do many schools.

you aint kidding about the wear and tear on your body, if your knees or back hurts just a little bit when you wake up now wait till you wrench for just a few years on Heavy Equipment or OTR trucks and stuff like that...i just got to my 2 years at work and im 21 and my back and knees hurt bad some days...i cant wait til im 40:argh:

I also contribute alot of the discomfort to being a catcher in little league before they had the knee savers, and playing offensive line in high school...both of those things got my legs jacked, oh and grandpa telling me i could pick up the 75 lb feed sack when i was 10 probably didnt help much either :D

I work on industrial engines and also wrench on my own trucks. ITs kind of a wash as to what kills my back more working with huge bolt torque specs and heavy parts or laying spread out over the top of an engine trying to cram my hand into a 2" hole while worming its way through 3 wiring harnesses. :humm:

New here, but i'd be glad to drop my 2 cents.
No matter what you do these days, for the most part, employers want experience before they'll shell out the big $$$. I work in power generation, no degree, and it would have done nothing for me on the technical aspect to go to a four year school. I put my wife through college while I was working 60 hrs. a week. She graduated, but here in the Dallas/Fort Worth, a business degree is like a GED. I know very few people starting out for more than $40k a year. She works in a office though, and has a comfortable laid back job. I on the other hand, make more $$$, but am on call, bust my back alot of the time, and my employer in a round about way owns me. I couldn't do an office job, but for most of the other opportunities w/in my company(cummins), I would need a damn degree to move up. So, I get employer paid certifications, but they do nothing for me if I get out of field service. My wife is gaining exp. in her modest job, and will soon have the exp. to qualify for a comfy job making more $$$. For the longest time I thought everyone was a fool for getting a common degree, such as business. But growing older, "back hurting more", I realize now why you go to college. And if all else fails, find a sugar momma w/ a good job. I still like my job, and don't take it for granted. But the drive home after a 16hr. day makes my mind wander.

heres what i figure if i go to UNOH and get my automotive and diesel degree and combine it with a bachelors degree in business i can work my way up in the ranks and then open up my own shop. the salesman the sold me my truck went to UTI. he is using that degree a lot selling used commercial vans and trucks.:booo: ive haeard those tech schools really only teach you the basics but it seems like from this thread they can be good. i figure if i bust my ass for 15 or 20 years in a shop then i will be able to open up a shop and retire worry fear:pca1:

No matter where ya go you will only get out of it what you put into. That's the biggest thing to remember.:c:

I'm an A&P Aircraft Tech, went to a vocational school for four 18 unit semesters to take the federal tests and get my license, straight out of high school. I need a couple classes to get my AS degree and after being out in the field, I'd like to take some business classes now.

I think if I took business classes before I worked full time and started working my way up at my full time job and starting my own stuff on the side, I don't think I would have put as much effort into the classes. But now I'm starting to look into some night classes because I'm interested in learning how to manage and plan more efficiently. Not sure that I did it correctly or not but I do know that I have no student debt/loans to pay off and I'm completely dedicated to any class I take now.

It might do well for you to consider an A&P program, unless you know for sure that you want to get into diesels. most A&P schools are intense and have very thorough training as far as general maintenance and troubleshooting techniques. there's very little emphasis on aircraft but it's mostly HOW to properly work on anything. CAT used to send their mechanics to or hire from the A&P school I went to until the hosting community college worked with them and got a CAT program, too.

I've gotten a lot of $20-25/hr non-aviation job offers just for having an A&P license. Hanging out in the pit of an AMA team at Laguna Seca, they told me if I ever wanted a job, they LOVE hiring aircraft mechanics.

It just all depends on the type of vehicles you want to work on. If u just want to work for a dealership or semis. There is schools out there just for those makes. Find out what u want to do and than go to the place where u wanna work and see if they can get u into school.
I grad in 2007 and am making 80,000 a year if the work is there

You should contact your local Caterpillar dealer and ask them about a program called Think Big. I am a 2005 graduate of the Empire Machinery Think Big program and wouldn't think twice of doing it again if I had to. The instructors are Caterpillar certified instructors and there is an associates degree in applied science of diesel technology that is obtained. Most places will offer you some form of assistance is getting your tools and they have a very accurate list of what a professional diesel mechanic should start out with. I am 24 years old and have been in my own field service truck for 2 1/2 years already. I love every minute of my job working on heavty equipment. I was born and raised in a Cummins family but Cummins schooling did not hold a candle to Caterpillars and I didn't want to work on semis. All ogf the other schools I looked at were over 15000 dollars and I got this BS spell about how great it was and how I wouldnt regret it. My Think Big schooling cost 7800 dollrs and I have an associates degree. Think about and feel free to ask me any questions. I'd love to help if I can.

i got to PCT and all i can say is the CAT program there sucks i have plenty of friends who CAt promised alot to and now are getting screwed out of there money because caterpillar is in the drain personally i cant stand anything CAT probally because i am a die hard deere and cummins guy but never the less at least for right now stay away from having cat help you through school now as for PCT i think it is/was a total waste of my time and money the only class where i really learned anything is was hydraulics some of the teachers at this school seem very threatend by someone who actually knows something about what they are doing i have been wrenching on pieces of equipment for a long time and have built my share of engines and some of the teachers there are concerned more with controling how you think and making sure you do everything "by the books" that they forget some of the students there are quite knowlegdable about this trade and find it very detremental to be constantly hounded on how to do something when we have been working on these for awhile and know the tricks to get the job done sooner these teachers demand all the respect in the world but give none at all as a side note some of the teachers at this school are very knowledeable very understanding of your work experiance and go out of there way to help you understand something and will answer any question you have

I never said anything bad about anybody else's schools, I just said my experience and ALOT of my coworkers experience went very well for them. The dealers are not obligated to keep anybody and half of my graduating class has been let go cause they couldn't cut it. And if you will read the entire posting you will also find that I'm Cummins guy myself. I have several family members who retired from Cummins. I would never own a truck with a CAT in it because they break all the time. In my eyes its called Job Security. BTW, If you already knew everything about wrenching why did you go to school?

When somebody graduates from their school and goes out into the workplace it's that school's reputation at stake there, so ya I'm sure they do want you to learn "by The Book Methods". Not to mention the fact that a lot these guys that show up to a school thinking they know how to do somethin may know plenty enough to get by dinkin around the farm but may not know as much as they thought they did when it comes to professionally workin on things.

I'm buildin my own ground ripper right now from scrap layin around my place but that doesn't mean that I would advertise myself as an implement designer, builder and manufacturer.

You have to know the right way to do something and after that you can learn the shortcuts, but first things first. So in the end it sounds to me like those instructors were doin exactly what they were supposed to be doin. Teachin to the school standards.

That's a pretty big accomplishment to get into a CAT shop truck at 21`1/2 years old. Congratulations.

A question for you: Do you find yourself pigeon-holed with Caterpillar equipment with the Think Big training and Caterpillar development, or are you becoming well-versed in brands K, H, JD, and the others as well?

i graduated from UNOH the fall of 2007 and now im making 85K a year tax free (thanks to this guy also^^^^^^) working over seas in Iraq running all of the maintenance operations for the worlds largest bulk fuel farm......if i get this new job with a different company, im looking at my pay almost doubling.....

I graduated from UNOH in spring of 07. Good school and good classes. Imo crappy town, but I delt with it. My degeree in diesel technology has got me pretty far. Ill be 23 in aug and making decient money for the liTtle town I work in. I'm happy wrenchin every day, it kinda like my little getaway. I aint making 6 digits but pretty happy anyways. If I hadn't got laid off may 2009 from caterpiller there would be a very good chance of making 80000+. O well I guess. All I can say is tools are expensive. and do what makes you happy, you'll thank yourself for it.

The dealer I work for is a dealer for Tesmec trenchers. When I first got into a field truck I was voluntold that I would be assisting the trencher division for a while. We are one of about a dozen Tesmec dealers in the country so I travel alot for work. Along with my travels if our trencher customer has a Deere dozer or a Komatsu hoe that needs to be worked on then I dive in head first. That is a good question though because alot of CAT guys wont work on anything else. I found early on that adversity will take you leaps and bounds in this business.

That's why I asked. ;)

You're starting out early on the right road...keep it up.

:U:

as anybody done wyotech and what has their experience been like?

1995-1996....back when it was Wyoming Technical Institute. We didn't have the cool diesel building like they do now...


It was what it was. I went in with a 'head start' so-to-speak. The programs have morphed a lot since I was there.

(in my best grandpa voice) back in 1942 when i was in diesel school all we had was a hammer and a pair of pliers and no books....and we fixed everything that way and still do....:choochoo:

in the snow, with no gloves, while the engine's running.

I went to UTI and enjoyed school very much. unfortunatly in 86 when i gradated, the laws that protect workers were not in place or inforced like today. i was busting my back 16+ a day making good money then one day i got my check it was thousands short. i was told to put that check in my pocket and return to work and that i was put on flat rate. old OD Mays screwed me good. i told him thats why they put wheels on tool boxes so they can roll out as easy as they rolled in. i was in the field most of the day and worked in the shop only a few hrs. basicly his way of F-ing me. cat or cummins wasnt hiring. so i found a job with the city and so it goes. at 42 i retired from the city but i still have to work. nothing is as good as it sounds trust me. now i still turn wrenches on my stuff and have raced different things for years everything from jetboats to mud boggers. I wouldnt change being able to fix things and build things for the world only wish they would have had the fab schools they have now would have gone right after UTI. I love to build things it completes me that said. if you do what you love its not like work.(dont find out 20 yrs later like i did) and I hated working for the city everyday but felt stuck. and lost confidence after a few years to return to a shop. never know how its gunna turn out just follow your heart what you absolutly love so you dont live with regrets. being a good wrench is always helpfull even if you end up doin somethng else.

Dude, the things that can be accomplished with a 4 pound drilling hammer and a pair of Knipex "miracle pliers" would amaze......

are you talking about the knipex cobra? my favorite pliers in the world. they have a newly designed handle, too; I have a large and small old style and a medium new style.

I went to Denver Auto and Diesel, I was there while they were flirting with bankruptcy, so some of the shop equipment was a little older and so on, but actually, it wasn't as bad as it sounds, since very few shops are going to have nothing but new top line stuff anyhow.

Yeah, there was alot of classroom time, and maybe 25% or more was stuff I'll NEVER care about unless I become an instructor somewhere. At least I found it interesting.

The biggest things I realized early on, they have to teach at the level of the student who knows the least, and as an example, in the engine class, we had 2.3L pinto engines on the stands, GEE, we all wanted to build 350's...But the theory was, it doesn't matter what's on the stand, we were being taught how to read and understand ANY manual, for ANY engine. What would happen if they taught us to build only a 350, then a customer brings in a 318 dodge?

And, technology is always changing. You aren't learning how to fix what is already out there, you are learning how to read and understand how to fix the stuff that doesn't exist yet, so you can work 10 or 20 years from now. Plus, do you really want to still be on the shop floor at 60 years old, or do you want to be the foreman or manager, that supervises and teaches all the new guys? Or a trainer for a manufacturer?

Go to a few dealerships, a couple heavy equipment or construction companies, talk to the foreman, ask him what he thinks of the guys he's hired from different schools. After all, that's where it really matters.

The only other piece of advice, see if you can get an entry level job in the field, give it 4 or 6 months, make sure it's what you want before you spend a chunk of $$$ to find out it's not what you want to do. I had a cousin who went to Ohio diesel, a couple years later he realized he hated wrenching and had to start over, decided to be an electrician, and still had student loans to pay.

what ever you decide to do make sure its something you will be happy doing.

i was gonna go there but decided against it. the place i work at we have had 4 techers on my shift all started before me, all had more expericence (worked at other places before me) and i have out lasted them, they didnt really have street smarts. most of them didnt know how to use a torque mulitplyer if you can believe that.

now im not saying dont go to the school im just saying check around your colleges close to you and see (community colleges) if they have any kinda automotive/diesel courses

or you could just give up on anything productive in life, no school, no job, become morbidly obese and Hope to get featured in one of Hussein's 'Town Hall' meetings, give him your sob story and ask for a handout...

okay but really, a tech school would be great. your instructors, even the best ones ever, are not going to be able to teach you much of how to do things, more just how to approach a machine/problem taking the book into consideration and figuring out the rest on your own. then you can get into the work force and actually learn how to work on it.