hey guys not sure if this is the place for this but i thought id try it. I'm approaching college here pretty soon and am wanting to pursue a career in diesel mechanics and know there are alot of schools out there. I was hoping someone with some experience could give me some insight on this thanks

 

I couldn't get close to a job in the field until I took "UTI Grad" off my resume. Massively negative connotations amongst employers; the average students are too dumb or inexperienced to get much out of it, and the schools are too greedy to kick people out that are paying $20,000+. Some schools are better than others, but all are full of kids in the bottom half of their high school classes that are still inexplicably getting "4.0" GPA's... No matter how much you get out of it, you will be hurt by being linked with your idiot classmates.

There is no substitute for job experience and no school will give that to you. Without job experience, school is wasted. With job experience, you realize that most school is a waste.

 

im a little with begle on this one most of those schools i hear horrible things about. however i know some colleges (one i went to) that is a Jr college that taught some mechanics stuff. they were tied into GM and had a "GM Training Center" or something like that. i never went through it but i heard good things about it. u may be able to find a school somewhere around you that has something similar. also id recommend goin to a dealership for a brand and telling the manager or someone up there in the pecking order what u wanna do and ask them if they have any suggestions. im sure theyd be willing to help you out

 

i went to nadc (nashville auto diesel college) i was nothing like they tell u when there trying to get u to go to the college. the recruiter will lie his *** off to get you to go to it. it ended up costing me 25k to go to it for one year.

right after i got out of school they changed it up where u either took auto, or diesel not both like i took. as far as job placement, outof just my class mates the 25 or so i hung out with, 4 of us were offered a managers job before we even graduated. 3 of them took it, i was offered a shop foreman at a cat dealer in Ga. for 18 bucks an hour, and i turned it down because my wife didnt want to move 10 of them were offered good jobs before we got out, a few of them were sent to the school be someone around where they lived just to get the degree.

i took a crap job just cause the area i live in dont pay worth a damn for mechanics.

good luck

 

thanks guys has anyone heard anything about cewnteral arizona college by chance?

 

Well I went to garden city community college in kansas because John Deere has a sponsored program there. to get into the program you have to be sponsored by a dealership which is a guaranteed job when you graduate. It was a 2 year program and they do have paid internships which were nice. I'll get a link for the website for you.
Home

 

The best thing to do is to talk to some dealerships. A lot of tractor dealerships will pay for your college if you work for them for a couple years.

I went to Wyotech in Laramie wy and was offered a job at a CAT CRC shop in Casper Wy for 18 an hour. Which i think as a level 3 or level 4 apprentice position. But I also graduated near the top of my class. A large majority of the kids didn't have that high of grades.

 

I'm with ya Ed. I'm currently here in Nashville going to nadc and it is nothing like the reps say its gonna be. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just different. The school is a good school so far, I'm in my 5th (mod) month. There's a lot of instructors here that know their stuff and there's some that are plum crazy The school cars aren't the best, most are missing parts due to thieves, but they still work good for training aids. The diesel trucks and the diesel engine room are nice (a few common rail cummins too ). The price is still right around 25k for 13 months, plus your housing, which for me it's right at $5800. After grants and stuff I'm looking at 23k in the end with housing and everything. I was told the placement rating was like 86%, but I guess I'll find out 8 months . Good luck with your decision!!

 

Im in Indy going to Lincoln College of Technology as well as members 901stGen, and a couple othes on here and its not all its cracked up to be. However there are certain teachers that actually have worked in the field and when you show the effort to want to learn, they will make sure you get taught well. I believe it is total horse S*** that there is not some kind of entrance exam because there are kids there that should not even be allowed to use screwdrivers let alone anything else. My dad owns his own auto shop and has taught me from the young years, and i have worked for him until i came to school so i am honestly ahead of alot of them. But its that piece of paper that matters at the end honestly.

 

I just started my progam at hennipen tech in minnesota and it has a paid internship program i have heard nothing but good plus 100% job placement no joke