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certification in Damage Analysis and Estimating.They
also are ASE-certified in the following areas:
[1] Paint and Refinishing
[2]Non-Structural Analysis and Damage Repair
[3]Structural Analysis and Damage Repair
[4]Mechanical and Electrical Components
FIVE YEARS IN ONE
The program is intended to provide benefits to both
participants and to the dealerships that hire them.
Graduates start their career armed with a solid and
practical education.“It is estimated that in the one year
students are at UTI, they gain what it would take them
five years to learn if they were
simply working in the field,”
according to Rick Jazwin,
Director of Industry Develop-
ment, UTI. Students will receive
training in Toyota-specific
courses and work on Toyota
vehicles using Toyota-approved
equipment. All instructors
teaching Toyota courses are
ASE-certified in the specialty
they teach. In addition, instruc-
tors teaching Toyota-specific
courses have successfully com-
pleted training at one of
Toyota’s training centers.
For their part, dealerships get
the opportunity to hire skilled
employees who have complet-
ed a comprehensive curriculum
and are I-CAR-and Toyota-certi-
fied. In addition,dealerships
can use hired I-CAR-certified
graduates toward their I-CAR
Gold Class rating.
Although training is provid-
ed at UTI’s Houston campus,
participating students seek
employment in a variety of
markets throughout the
United States.Toyota funneled
the program’s initial graduates to participating Toyota
Certified Collision Centers.This pipeline of excellent
employment candidates provides another compelling
reason for dealership collision repair facilities to
become certified.
If your collision repair center is not yet certified, now’s
the time to get started. If it is already a Toyota Certified
Collision Center, the UTI/Toyota partnership provides an
excellent opportunity to solve your staffing needs.To
get more information on the Toyota Certified Collision
Center program,please call (310) 974-5553.
For information about hiring a UTI graduate,contact
Steve Sweet,Toyota Technical Education Network Field
Operations Supervisor at (310) 974-5551.
departments
programs
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aced with a serious shortage of skilled entry-
level collision repair technicians,many Toyota
dealerships are turning to a new source to
meet their staffing needs.The first graduates of
an innovative program between Toyota and the
Universal Technical Institute (UTI) recently started
careers at several Toyota Certified Collision Centers
after a 51-week training course.
The Toyota/UTI Collision Repair Technician
Training Program features a comprehensive cur-
riculum at the state-of-the-art Houston campus.
Graduates complete a series of 16 I-CAR courses in
addition to Toyota-specific classes.
“We’re very excited about our partnership with
UTI,”says Rick Lester,Dealer Fixed Operations
Personnel Development Manager for T-TEN.“It
represents a major step forward in meeting the
need for highly skilled and highly trained techni-
cians for Toyota and Lexus dealerships in the colli-
sion repair industry.”
UTI,which has produced skilled automotive
graduates since 1965, collaborates with nine auto
manufacturers at 22 campuses and facilities across
the country.To attract high-quality candidates,UTI
representatives recruit students from more than
8,000 high schools in the U.S. including Alaska and
Puerto Rico.
UTI’s Toyota collision repair training takes place
in a recently upgraded 60,000-square-foot facility.
Students earn Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
Body Shop Bonanza
Taking care of Toyota collision repair customers
Interested in a proven strategy that will make
your dealership’s collision repair shop more effi-
cient, profitable and customer-friendly? Make it
a Toyota Certified Collision Center.
Access to promising entry-level graduates
through the UTI/Toyota program is just one of
certification’s many benefits. Results from cen-
ters after certification show several other tangi-
ble advantages, including:
Increased labor and parts sales and profits:
Labor gross profits jumped an average of
8.6% while parts gross profits rose 8.3% at
certified centers.
Enhanced body shop financial performance:
Paint and materials gross profits increased
15.2% while overall net profits soared 27.5%
at certified centers.
More customer satisfaction: Customers rated
quality of service and repairs higher and were
10.4% more likely to recommend the center
after certification.
The Toyota Certified Collision Center designa-
tion increases a shop’s chance to capture busi-
ness that otherwise would go elsewhere. It also
increases customer confidence in repairs due to
consumer recognition that certification ensures
a commitment to excellence.
Toyota certification begins with a two-day on-
site evaluation and consultation followed by a
detailed financial and operational business
analysis as well as a review of management
practices,production procedures and marketing
strategies.Certification also includes:
• Customized vendor support focused on
your shop’s needs
• National marketing exposure to major
insurance companies
• Regional roundtable meetings and
workshops
• Detailed monthly report of key body
shop indicators
• Eligibility for co-op body shop advertising
• Follow-up on-site visits by Toyota
consultants
• Toyota Certified Collision Center signage
and marketing materials
• Monthly CSI tracking and reporting
• Eligibility for Toyota Production System
installation and licensing
• To get the certification process rolling,
call (310) 974-5553.
>Reaching
Out to High
Schools
While the UTI/Toyota Collision
Repair Technician Training
Program targets high school
graduates,Toyota is also col-
laborating with high schools
to deepen the pool of entry-
level employees. As part of
the Automotive Youth
Educational System (AYES),
Toyota is encouraging bright
students to pursue careers in
automotive technology.The
program provides a frame-
work for dealerships to work
with local schools and stu-
dents in a collaborative set-
ting. For more information,
visit www.ayes.org to see
how your dealership can
begin tapping the next gener-
ation of technicians today.
>Certified Success—How to Boost Sales and Profits
F
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New program
builds pipeline to
skilled entry-level
employees