The Dealership Fixit Podcast E97: The State Of Service Technicians With Tim Yarborough from MMI
On this episode of the Dealership Fixit, we talk to Tim Yarborough, the National Admissions Representative for Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI).
As a graduate of an automotive trade school (Wyoming Technical Institute & East Valley Institute), I get to talk about what it looks like in 2023 for the young aspiring technician starting on this journey to be a trained mechanic.
We start off with learning Tim’s background, which included sales, F&I in automotive and powersports dealers and General Manager at a Harley dealer before finding his home for the last 20+ years with Universal Technical Institute in their Motorcycle Mechanics Institute.
A school known for churning out thousands upon thousands of trained technicians, many of which are still working at dealerships today.
We go over what the ideal candidate for joining the school would look like, what to expect, and what some of the training curriculum would look like. We also dive into the many different OEMs that support the school with donation bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides, watercraft, and marine vehicles to help learn on. Did you know that after 14 months, these techs are walking out of there with an associate's degree?
Diving into what day one in the workforce would look like. Typically a year and a half in of schooling, student debt, financed tools and their toolbox, they relocate to work at a new shop. Scary for some. What should dealers expect when onboarding these new techs and putting them into a mentorship with a more experienced tech or shop foreman.
Continued schooling is also a big factor! The industry and the products are getting so advanced, the OEM’s are pushing the limits, the techs need to learn how to fix it and get some further education. MMI has got your back on that too.
Overall, I harken back to my own time going to a technical school, picking out my courses, talking to dealers, and ultimately working as a certified master technician for over 7 years. It set my course and put me in the workforce within a year. Unlike many college programs that are double and triple the cost depending on the degree, most don't end up using it anyway.
Learn a trade, skills stay with you for life. Thanks again to Tim at MMI for the great conversation, we hope you find some value in this podcast.
Follow Our Guest Tim:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-yarborough-bb6b3415a/
MMI: https://www.uti.edu/programs/motorcycle
Email: tyarborough@uti.edu
Phone: 623-879-4381
Follow Our Host Jacob:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrjacobberr
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jacob-b-berry
Website: https://www.internetsalescoaching.com/
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