poxz

I saw Wyotech but they do not have a class for GM/Chevy's. Any suggestions would help.

98BlkFormula

iTrader: (6)

no school needed to be a mechanic...when i worked at a shop doing small stuff like tranny flushes, oil changes, tune ups, gaskets i was teaching some dude that was just about to finish UTI how to do all that crap. if you want to get into that crappy line of business (IMO it is) best thing to do is start off at a Firestone, ez lube, amco..... that way you get $ and you learn along the way

SUCK MY SS

iTrader: (14)

lol ive never taken an automotive course in my life...but i am gonna start my classes in the spring for my welding certificate...
my advice would be to read alot from trusted sources and get as much hands on experience as possible...lol i cant tell you how many trade school techs i have seen that cant turn a wrench for ****...
knowledge is useless without experience, and vice versa...
but if your seriously considering automotive school id say wyotech is a lot better than uti....citrus college also offers a very good automotive program...pasadena city college isnt too bad either...

XpEdItIoUs

iTrader: (44)

+1 on getting a welding cert. That is a skill that requires something to show your employer that you learned the right way.

hlaalu

iTrader: (3)

GM and Chevy's, that's a bold move!

TurbopigB4C

iTrader: (5)

Don't learn how to fix cars to get into the field you will starve and can't get any good jobs in auto anymore being a tech sucks. I was a dealership tech for GM for 2 and 1/2 years. Your only paid flat rate and when there is no cars to fix your not paid. Right now is not a good time. Just go to your local community college that offers an auto program much cheaper and nearly same education. By the way I graduated from Wyotech if your wondering and will be paying student loans for a long time its not worth it. Community college is much cheaper 25k for Wyotech and you can get the same piece of paper from community college for about 2k.

sic7camaro

iTrader: (21)

uti wanted 35k like u said citrus or pcc ur best bet,im in the same boat dont know what school to go,if u wanna work somewhere specific then u ask them what u need in order to work for them.

lowerthanyou00

iTrader: (8)

RCC and other campuses have internships programs where you can go to school and go on the job at the same time, i think they offer gm, ford and toyota. The only thing youd have to do is find a dealer to hire you for the internship. Wouldnt recommend trying to make money as a mechanic right now, times are slow and most dealer mechanics make commission. Dont bother with uti, my good friend decided to go there, 27000 dollars later and graduating number 2 in his class got him a job at jiffly lube, which they told him he could chose to work there untill they could find a better job for him, a year later of being paid **** and no help from uti, hes back at stater bros making a better living than he was planning as a mechanic. Anyways thats just one story. I can also tell you a bunch of rich idiots go there, i know cause i install dish at there apartments and there parents paid for it, but they know as much as the common ricer and act like them.

gnbooster87

iTrader: (6)

cerritos collage offers GM,CHRYSLER and i believe HONDA classes you can check them out cerritoscollage.edu

cre81r

I agree,Wyotech isn't worth.I regret going there and now I'm paying 16k for it blah!A CC would be much better,cheaper too.What I learned in Wyotech I could've learned in a shop during that one year and gotten paid for it too!I think El Camino College offers some dealer training classes forgot which though.I only remember Ford.

BigDaddyBry

iTrader: (15)

How long are these courses to become an auto tech/mechanic?

cre81r

They're usually bout a year.

BigDaddyBry

iTrader: (15)

Food for thought: go into nursing, make $30+ and hour, have extra money to learn on your own car.

SUCK MY SS

iTrader: (14)

in the end, you cant expect the school to set your life for you....they can help pave the way, but they are only gonna do so much...you need to be the determining factor of where you end up...

whether you go to a trade school or go to a community college, the presented information is the same...its all about what YOU take away from the program...

personally i like to read, but i am a hands on learner...sometimes i dont understand what im reading after 5 times going through it, but the first time its in my hands it makes sense after having the background info in my head...every person has different learning styles, you need to figure out what is the best for you... go to different schools and see what they have to offer...go and talk to the course instructor for the class you want to take and have a talk with him...see if you click... ive had experiences in the past where i have a hard time understanding the person trying to teach me, because our style of teaching/learning are different...

find a mentor. (easier said than done) old machine shop guys will talk to you for hours on end if you let them...find local builders/technicians in your area that will take the time to explain and show you the PROPER PROCEDURE for whatever it is you may be working on..

this is my personal opinion... i am happy that i never went to a trade school for automotive...i feel like if i did i would actually be a few steps back from where i am at now...if i were to do it again as a beginner, i would definitely take a few courses at the community college in order to skip over some of the trial and error associated with learning mechanics...
what i do like about schooling is the fact that you are working amongst your peers...this will bring out a somewhat cometitive edge out of people allowing them to excel farther then possibly working alone...when you work with others, they may see things that you dont and vice versa..the key is working with people that you get along with and can brainstorm problems without getting frustrated...

hopefully my ramblings may make sense to some of you guys...

MrElectric03

iTrader: (71)

UTI wanted way too much. You will learn by working much faster than a class will teach you. My employer hired me knowing I had no classroom training and I have taught both Wyotech and UTI grads over 5 years older than I am.

However that being said I am planning on going back to some night classes to become a certified welder and get more experience in machine work.Some things are better left to a good teacher.