Taps Company Veteran, Julie Mueller, as Campus President
AUSTIN, Texas, May 17, 2022 — Yesterday, Universal Technical Institute‘s (UTI) Austin Campus opened its doors to students. As the third UTI school in Texas, the opening of UTI-Austin is part of UTI’s ongoing growth and diversification strategy to broaden the reach of its skilled trade programs to high demand geographies. Located in North Austin, the 101,315 square foot facility is designed with an innovative footprint that is fully optimized around UTI’s blended learning model and includes 8 classrooms, 6 classroom/labs and 7 individual laboratories.
“UTI’s disciplined execution of our growth strategy includes expanding access to our industry-aligned curriculum through organic and inorganic opportunities,” said Jerome A. Grant, CEO of UTI. “Adding a third campus in Texas offers additional training opportunities for those living in the southwest and helps meet the needs of local employers for trained technicians.”
Last year, UTI veteran, Julie Mueller, was selected as the campus president and has led the planning process since then. Mueller has been with UTI for nearly 24 years, most recently as the campus president at UTI-Lisle in Illinois. She is one of five female UTI campus presidents.
“With industries like transportation, manufacturing and construction within the state of Texas, Austin is a vibrant and growing metropolitan area filled with employment opportunities for graduates in skilled trades and therefore well-suited for UTI as it expands its footprint in Texas,” stated Mueller. “We are eager to offer students from around the region the opportunity to train at our campus near their homes and families.”
Mueller’s vision for UTI-Austin is to develop another campus of excellence with a positive and engaging culture. UTI-Austin’s initial curriculum offerings will include it’s Automotive, Diesel and Welding Technology programs with capacity for additional programs to be added in the future. Key Austin area employers already signed up for UTI’s Early Employment Program are Austin Infiniti, Hertz®, ITP® (Inland Truck Parts & Service), Covert Auto Group, Penske Automotive, Sewell Automotive Companies, and Sunstate Equipment Company.
“As a longtime partner of UTI with many graduates employed in our Service Department, we at Austin Infiniti were very excited about the opening of the Austin campus,” commented Mark Bailey, fixed operations director, Austin Infiniti. “We look forward to having this partnership become even stronger with our participation in the Early Employment Program, giving us the opportunity to support tomorrow’s technicians today.”
“Inland Truck Parts and Service is proud to be in partnership with UTI to ensure the future of our industry’s skilled technicians. Attracting new talent to the field of Diesel Mechanics will benefit us for years to come,” stated Darren McInvale, general manager, Inland Truck Parts and Service. “The early employment opportunity program is just one example of how this partnership will benefit us. We are committed to investing in the education, training, and placement of people with the motivation to learn this exciting field of work.”
VP of North America Maintenance at Hertz, Michael Severance stated “Hertz is excited to continue participating in the Early Employment Program at the UTI-Austin campus. Bringing on students who are excited to learn and grow in the automotive field into our employee-driven culture at Hertz has been a recipe for success. UTI provides a clear path to success for their students both while in school and after graduation. We look forward to continuing to be a part of their student-to-employee journey.”
“Covert Auto Group is honored to be teaming up with UTI-Austin to help further the education of local students in their journeys to become certified technicians. The Covert family greatly recognizes the importance of this program, as it helps students along their path to becoming successful employees,” remarked Stephen Hamilton, assistant general manager at Covert Auto Group. “The Covert family has always supported local businesses by shopping locally, employing local companies, vendors, and people to better serve, not just our community, but also our customers. As the largest locally owned group of dealerships in the Austin area, the Coverts are grateful to be participating with the career advancement of students/technicians in our area. This will greatly benefit our amazing community by providing quality technicians to help us better serve our customers.”
“Sunstate Equipment, a leader in the rental equipment industry, has a strong partnership with UTI. We value the relationship and experience UTI provides to their students and our future employees,” mentioned Josh Duncan, regional people services manager at Sunstate Equipment. “Sunstate values the early employment program at UTI, as it gives students a chance to earn on the job experience with a company that values their knowledge and skill set and looks to grow future mechanics/technicians.”
“Sewell Automotive Companies is proud to partner with the new UTI-Austin campus. The UTI Early Employment Program is an important part of Sewell’s recruitment program, giving students the opportunity to gain valuable experience before they graduate. At Sewell, technicians are part of a team that challenges them to be the best. Our company hires many UTI graduates each year and we are pleased to offer competitive starting compensation, continuous education, paid certification, and training opportunities,” said Darrell Sulak, regional service operations director at Sewell Automotive Companies. “We look forward to working with UTI-Austin students at our 18 dealerships in Texas, including Sewell Jaguar Land Rover North Austin, which is located near the new UTI-Austin campus.”
To learn more about UTI-Austin, visit the campus page or, request information today. For more information on UTI’s growth and diversification strategy, see the most recent presentation on its investor relations website.
About Universal Technical Institute
Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Phoenix, Universal Technical Institute’s (NYSE: UTI) mission is to serve our students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers. More than 250,000 students have graduated from one of UTI’s 15 campuses located across Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Texas. UTI’s campuses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), while its employer-aligned technical training programs are offered under four brands: Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute / Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of Technology. For more information and a complete list of all programs offered, please visit www.uti.edu or follow on LinkedIn @UniversalTechnicalInstitute or Twitter at @news_UTI.
Media Contact
Alanna Vitucci
The Daily Caller News Foundation
480-710-6843
SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
