Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and Volvo Car USA (Volvo) are offering a new opportunity for UTI students on the East Coast who are interested in becoming certified Volvo technicians.
The Volvo TEKNIKER Apprentice Program, a 12-week, manufacturer-paid apprentice program, is expanding, and is now offered at Volvo’s training facility in Ridgeville, S.C., north of Charleston, in addition to the current location at UTI’s Avondale, Ariz. campus. These are the only two locations in the country offering the program.
The program offers four certifications, allowing technicians to achieve Volvo’s G1A certification level, which puts them halfway along the path toward earning Master Volvo technician status. Program applicants must meet certain qualifications that include a minimum GPA and attendance standard, pass an interview, and commit to working for a Volvo dealer for a minimum of a year [1] to be eligible. Students who attend have their MSAT tuition paid for by Volvo Car USA.
“Manufacturer-paid advanced training programs like the Volvo TEKNIKER Apprentice Program are mutually beneficial for our students and our OEM partners,” said Sharon Taylor-Ellis, VP of Advanced Training at UTI. “With the strong and continued demand for automotive technicians across the country, the expansion of this program is just another way students can gain OEM brand-specific training after their core program, which can potentially lead to a rewarding and lifelong career in the transportation industry.”
In addition to Volvo’s core technician curriculum, students will receive hands-on instruction using both of Volvo’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV). Key topics covered during coursework include high voltage safety processes, component identification and operations, power management during maintenance, and battery diagnostics and replacement.
“Volvo is a brand built on safety and reliability, and our dealerships are in need of top-level technicians who customers can depend on to fix their cars the right way, the first time,” said Jeffrey Jennings, Senior Manager, Technical Training at Volvo. “The Volvo TEKNIKER Apprentice Program gives students brand-specific skills and specialized understanding of the technology that goes into our vehicles. Our relationship with UTI helps ensure we’re creating a pipeline of knowledgeable technicians ready to contribute to our dealerships’ service departments on day one.”
The Volvo TEKNIKER Apprentice Program is a Manufacturer-Specific Advanced Training (MSAT) available through UTI. For more information or to enroll, please visit www.uti.edu.
For more information on the Volvo TEKNIKER program, visit https://www.uti.edu/programs/automotive/specialized-training/volvo-tekniker-apprentice.
