SOUTHFIELD, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 27, 2019--

Icahn Automotive Group LLC, an Icahn Enterprises L.P. company, which owns and operates leading national auto repair and maintenance providers Pep Boys, AAMCO, Precision Tune Auto Care centers, and Jacksonville-area service provider RPM Automotive, today announced the addition of Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI) Orlando campus to its Race to 2026 efforts, concluding the program’s technical school efforts for 2019.

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Icahn Automotive Service CEO Brian Kaner presents a $2,500 scholarship today to Dominic Lightner, student at the Orlando campus of Universal Technical Institute, during the Race to 2026 event today. (Photo: Business Wire)

Launched earlier this year, the Race to 2026 initiative encourages more men and women to pursue viable careers in the skilled trades by partnering with technical training schools and offering scholarships, tuition reimbursement; creating apprenticeship and internship programs; job placement and continuing education opportunities. In total, Icahn Automotive has partnered with six Universal Technical Institute and Lincoln Tech locations to reach students enrolled in automotive technology programs across the U.S.

“As a nationwide service network, we need skilled technicians in cities and towns across the country, so our partnership with UTI enables us to connect with students and provide additional support as they prepare for a career in the skilled trades,” said Icahn Automotive Service CEO Brian Kaner. “While it’s critical that we continue to hire trained technicians for our shops, we also want the students to know that no matter where they land, they made a great decision to become an automotive technician and they’re entering an industry full of promise and opportunity.”

In Orlando, Icahn Automotive, Pep Boys, and RPM leaders and technicians, and UTI administrators, instructors and students came together to unveil classroom designs that incorporated images of the well-known service brands, technicians hard at work and career maps that illustrate the many paths an automotive technician can take. The renovated areas included new furniture and equipment plus inspiring messages on the classroom walls including “Find the tools you need,” “Find your own path” and “Find out how far you can go.” To celebrate the partnerships, Dominic Lightner, an automotive technology student at the UTI in Orlando was presented with a $2,500 scholarship from Icahn Automotive. The event also included the Pep Boys Mobile crew service rig and mobile diagnostic vehicles, unique mobile repair and diagnostic vehicles that provides on-location services as well as a new, dynamic career opportunity for automotive service program graduates.

“Universal Technical Institute’s partnership with Icahn Automotive Group is incredibly beneficial to our students and the industry, particularly the automotive aftermarket,” said John Dodson, Vice President, Business Alliances and NASCAR at Universal Technical Institute. “As the need for skilled technicians continues to grow, so does the need for quality technical education. Four out of five of our graduates will get jobs in the industry after roughly a year of UTI training, and they’re ready to hit the ground running as soon as they enter the workforce. Icahn Automotive is our largest aftermarket partner and has hired more UTI graduates than any other aftermarket employer in the last couple of years.”

Icahn Automotive has over 135 service locations in the state, and immediate openings for automotive service technicians of all levels. The need is reflective of the skills gap that exists in the automotive industry nationally. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the automotive industry will need nearly 46,000 more technicians by 2026 to meet anticipated demand. In any given year, there are as many as 75,000 job openings, due in large part to the retirement of the last generation of technicians who benefitted from broadly available vocational education programs. While this demand is on par with other fields, in recent decades technical training and related career assistance for those interested in the skilled trades was not keeping pace.

Each year, however, UTI is graduating thousands of well-trained and qualified automotive service technicians, who will go on to fill the many open automotive jobs across the country. The Orlando campus is one of 13 UTI locations across the nation and offers a 51-week automotive technology training program, along with a diesel program and advanced and manufacturer-specific training. Orlando is also home to UTI’s Motorcycle Mechanics Institute that prepares students specifically for a career in the motorcycle industry. The national Race to 2026 program was launched this past February at UTI’s NASCAR Technical Institute campus in Mooresville, N.C., where students can enroll in the automotive technology program as well as specialize in the NASCAR technology program.

“Over the past several months, our field leaders and technicians came together to do the rewarding work of building the partnerships with the technical schools, creating unique programs and connecting with the students to award scholarships and offer jobs,” said Kaner. “We have a long way to go until 2026, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to recruit more promising candidates to the skilled trades.”

Now one of the largest service chain operators in North America, Icahn Automotive offers a broad range of industry-leading opportunities and career paths. Technicians can start by providing basic maintenance and move on to more complex repairs, or progress to running a company-owned store, owning and operating a franchised business, or serving in a corporate leadership role. Once a technician joins an Icahn Automotive business, they can take advantage of benefits such as tuition assistance, an apprenticeship program and company-sponsored certifications. The Company also offers a scholarship program and will soon announce the 2019-2020 winners.

About Icahn Automotive

Icahn Automotive Group LLC (Icahn Automotive) was formed by its parent, Icahn Enterprises L.P. (NASDAQ: IEP), to invest in and operate businesses involved in aftermarket parts distribution and service. Our businesses have a singular focus: provide premium automotive parts and services at a great value. Icahn Automotive today consists of Pep Boys ® automotive aftermarket retail and service chain, Auto Plus ® automotive aftermarket parts distributor, Precision Tune Auto Care ® owned and franchised automotive service centers, and AAMCO Total Auto Care franchised service centers. The Company also is the licensor of Cottman Transmission and operates under several local brands. The businesses of Icahn Automotive total over 22,000 employees, over 2,000 company-owned and franchise locations, and 25 distribution centers throughout the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit IcahnAutomotive.com.

About Universal Technical Institute

With more than 200,000 graduates in its 53-year history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the nation's leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. The company has built partnerships with industry leaders, outfits its state-of-the-industry facilities with current technology, and delivers training that is aligned with employer needs. Through its network of 13 campuses nationwide, UTI offers post-secondary programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit www.uti.edu. Like UTI on www.facebook.com/UTI or follow UTI on Twitter @UTITweet, @MMITweet, and @NASCARTechUTI.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, many of which are beyond our ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “will” or words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190627005716/en/

CONTACT: Arianna Stefanoni Sherlock, Icahn Automotive

609-969-8349,[email protected] Christine Bowser, Pinnacle Media

330-688-3515,[email protected]

KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA FLORIDA MICHIGAN

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL CONTINUING TRAINING EDUCATION TIRES & RUBBER PHILANTHROPY GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALTY AFTERMARKET AUTOMOTIVE OTHER PHILANTHROPY

SOURCE: Icahn Automotive Group LLC

Copyright Business Wire 2019.

PUB: 06/27/2019 12:53 PM/DISC: 06/27/2019 12:53 PM

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