WyoTech In Laramie Is Open For Business And Tech Education
The WyoTech training school for automotive and diesel technicians is up and running again under Wyoming ownership and leadership in Laramie.
“We’re committed to continuing the legacy of WyoTech and making the right decisions to get us there,” its president Jim Mathis said in a prepared statement Monday.
Founded in Laramie in 1966, WyoTech provides concentrated training programs in automotive technology, collision refinishing technology and diesel technology.
The school designs it programs to develop the "whole" technician, according to WyoTech's website. Students attend class and shop for eight hours day. That enables them to finish their programs sooner and prepares them for the schedules they'll encounter in their careers.
Besides the technical skills, WyoTech trains students in "soft skills" like customer service, professional demeanor and appearance, and a heavy focus on attendance. Many employers have told the school that this produces well-rounded graduates who fit well in their workplaces.
Since its founding, the school has gone through several ownership changes.
It was owned by the late for-profit Corinthian Colleges, which collapsed in 2014 after cash shortages, fraud allegations, and a U.S. Department of Education fine of $30 million for misrepresentation.
In 2015, the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based company shut down 28 ground campuses and displaced about 16,000 students including those in its WyoTech schools.
However, WyoTech in Laramie was not among them then.
The most recent ownership group announced in November it was closing all WyoTech schools in the United States to focus on other endeavors.
In November Education Credit Management Company, WyoTech's parent company, announced the school would be closing in June. Meanwhile, Laramie County Community College considered acquiring it.
In May, Gov. Matt Mead authorized a loan of up to $5 million to Mathis' Laramie-based DBJJDM Enterprises for WyoTech.
In July, the ownership group bought the school. Mathis was a student, former president until 2002, and is now the CEO.
He intends to raise the schools enrollment to between 500 and 600 students in three years, he said in the news release.