Universal Technical Institute opens Georgia campus for 1,500 students

Universal Technical Institute opened its first Georgia campus in Smyrna, a 150,000-square-foot facility designed to serve approximately 1,500 students and expand transportation and skilled-trades training capacity, according to an Oct. 21 company statement.

The campus offers automotive, diesel, aviation, electrical, robotics and automation, HVACR and welding training. Georgia is projected to have more than 10,000 annual job openings across the trades taught there, Todd Hitchcock, UTI’s executive vice president of strategy, growth and operations, said at the ceremony. That projection covers statewide openings, while the campus figure describes its intended student capacity.

NAPA has committed $75,000 in scholarships for students at the campus, its senior vice president of product and marketing, Danny Huffaker, said in UTI’s announcement. The Atlanta-headquartered company described the commitment as part of its partnership with UTI to develop automotive technicians.

Dealership software provider myKaarma said in a Sept. 29 announcement that it would supply digital multi-point inspection software at no cost for a pilot at UTI-Atlanta. Students will be introduced to the platform progressively as they advance through their courses.

By the capstone course, the pilot calls for students to conduct full multi-point inspections, develop repair recommendations and prepare detailed parts and labor estimates using the platform. They will also begin using video to document vehicle conditions and communicate recommended services to customers, bringing dealership service processes into the technical training.