Bloomfield Auto College Helps Students Line Up Jobs With Truck Company

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI) campus in Bloomfield is teaming up with Gabrielli Trucks Sales to help students line up jobs with the Tri-State-based company.

UTI’s new partnership with Gabrielli Trucks Sales is part of its early employment program, which is open to all students enrolled in an automotive or diesel program.

According to UTI:

“Participating employers may offer students they hire 20 to 30 hours of paid hands-on working experience with other technicians at their facilities, and consideration for full-time employment upon graduation. Some employers, including Gabrielli Trucks Sales, even offer reimbursement for education-related expenses.”

Gabrielli Truck Sales has also committed to the continued growth of the UTI students they employ by guaranteeing OEM training and providing company specific onboarding with a mentor or service manager, according to UTI.

The auto repair school adds:

“Gabrielli Truck Sales has 19 new truck sales and services centers all over the Tri-State Area, as well as several leasing and rental locations with a fleet of approximately 1,300 vehicles supported by 750+ employees and 325+ service stalls. Since the partnership began early this year, 20 UTI students have accepted employment opportunities across all 19 of Gabrielli’s locations with five students qualifying for the Early Employment program. These five students qualified for a $20,000 Tuition Reimbursement Incentive Program (TRIP) package along with very competitive local wages.”

It adds up to a big win for students like James Halligan, a 2022 UTI graduate who is now a full-time employee at Gabrielli Truck Sales in Rockaway.

“My training at UTI gave me the technical knowledge I have needed to begin my career in the automotive industry,” Halligan said. “Now, working at Gabrielli, I am receiving daily hands-on training from my colleagues and mentors, and have even had the opportunity to learn new technologies.”

Halligan isn’t alone, UTI spokespeople say.

Industry demand remains strong for trained automotive and diesel technicians. The U.S. Department of Labor projects a combined annual average of 97,000 job openings nationwide in the automotive and diesel repair industries.

And according to Andrew Kanas, a business development director with Gabrielli Trucks Sales, a little knowledge and ambition can go a long way.

“The students from UTI are not only well-trained with the base skills they need to be successful, but they are also motivated and excited to become automotive and diesel technicians,” Kanas said.

Gabrielli Trucks Sales isn’t the only large company to recently partner with UTI’s Bloomfield campus.

In 2019, the school announced it was launching a school-to-work pipeline for Bloomfield area residents seeking a career with Ford as part of its “Ford Accelerated Credential Training (FACT) program.”

• See related article: Bloomfield Auto Repair School Partners With Ford Motor Company
• See related article: Bloomfield Auto Repair School Rolls Out New Electric Car Courses

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