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Hello I'm currently 18 and planning to go to Laramie Wyoming for school at Wyotech. The auto move technician school located there. Me and my girlfriend are looking to move in together and rent an apartment. I was just curious and really nervous on going but I think it'd be a great life experience.most importantly, how safe is laramie? Is there a lot of crimes? Nice people ? Friendly environment? Is there a lot of young people ? How is the weather during winter or summer? The most ideal is no crime but I'm really nervous of leaving my girlfriend alone or anything because idk of the rape crime or kidnapping crime. You can never be to safe.
If ANYONE can please give me some feedback of any kind id appreciate it.
WyoTech is on the NorthWest side of town, a short distance away from the main activities of the University campus area or the downtown area.
Laramie is a pretty safe town, and I've met nothing but nice friendly people there. Being a school town, there's a lot of young people around.
Summers are relatively cool for Wyoming due to the altitude there. Winters are cold and pretty brutal with the likely constant strong winds and gusts for months on end.
Strongly advise you to use the search feature here to learn a lot more about Laramie, there's a lot of threads about it.
PS: Is there a reason why you're going to WyoTech for your training? Tuition assistance/scholarship? Link to a job offer? I ask, because there's a lot of other ways to acquire the training they offer at less cost ... and, IMO, better training elsewhere. I've seen the work product of WyoTech grads in the field and I'm not impressed with what I've seen ... of course, that's only my opinon based upon 35 years as an independent auto/diesel shop owner and lead tech. Recently, I got to fix a Chevy 6.5 diesel that had been through two of their grad's shops here in Cheyenne a total of 5 times at the cost of many thousands of dollars ... each time, the vehicle was returned to the owner with no improvement in the heavy smoking/low power/burning out a couple of injectors but accompanied by a hefty bill. The injectors were damaged in just a few hundred miles. The causation was a simple error in the assembly of the engine, and none of the work performed afterwards was appropriate ... they were just changing parts repeatedly without really investigating or diagnosing the engine. The error was readily apparent in a quick external visual inspection of the engine when the intake manifold was removed, as they had to do to adjust the injection pump timing (which they did 3 times!).
To my way of thinking, none of them were mechanics in the real sense of the word for all of their expensive training. Topping it off was their unethical business performance; ie, when a customer comes in with a problem and you simply throw money in parts without diagnosing the issue, return the vehicle to the owner with it having the same or worse symptoms ... you've proven that you didn't diagnose the problem and didn't achieve any beneficial results. Handing it back to the customer repeatedly with a hefty bill and saying "we don't know what is causing this" but "we're the best diesel techs in town" doesn't reflect well upon one's professional performance.
From my perspective, WyoTech is a for-profit school with their own priorities. You might want to look into alternatives, such as an auto tech program at a Community College in many other places. I've seen some pretty good programs around the country which may be a lot less expensive and provide the training opportunity you desire. Many of the CC programs will qualify for tuition assistance, too, and they also have connections to job placement after graduation.
True Story: as a sales rep for an industry leading diagnostic program that incorporated field feedback analysis of problem solving & repairs, I called upon WyoTech a couple of years ago. I was told point blank by the head of their instruction that the resource service I was selling was in conflict with their philosophy of how a tech should perform in the shop and they would not condone their techs using such a resource. What I was selling was a program that would cut shop diagnostic time to a minimum based upon the collected knowledge/history of many hundreds of thousands of repair orders around the country. In this business, time is money. If a tech can properly diagnose a problem and have inside knowledge as to the easiest ways to effectively perform the repairs, that's a boon to the tech, the shop, and the vehicle owner. Yet WyoTech turned their back upon such a resource ... and there's more than several of this kind of program that they were refusing to teach or even let their students know was available to the trade. IMO, not a very wise approach to training techs to be productive and achieve results in the field.
WyoTech is on the NorthWest side of town, a short distance away from the main activities of the University campus area or the downtown area.
Laramie is a pretty safe town, and I've met nothing but nice friendly people there. Being a school town, there's a lot of young people around.
Summers are relatively cool for Wyoming due to the altitude there. Winters are cold and pretty brutal with the likely constant strong winds and gusts for months on end.
Strongly advise you to use the search feature here to learn a lot more about Laramie, there's a lot of threads about it.
PS: Is there a reason why you're going to WyoTech for your training? Tuition assistance/scholarship? Link to a job offer? I ask, because there's a lot of other ways to acquire the training they offer at less cost ... and, IMO, better training elsewhere. I've seen the work product of WyoTech grads in the field and I'm not impressed with what I've seen ... of course, that's only my opinon based upon 35 years as an independent auto/diesel shop owner and lead tech. Recently, I got to fix a Chevy 6.5 diesel that had been through two of their grad's shops here in Cheyenne a total of 5 times at the cost of many thousands of dollars ... each time, the vehicle was returned to the owner with no improvement in the heavy smoking/low power/burning out a couple of injectors but accompanied by a hefty bill. The injectors were damaged in just a few hundred miles. The causation was a simple error in the assembly of the engine, and none of the work performed afterwards was appropriate ... they were just changing parts repeatedly without really investigating or diagnosing the engine. The error was readily apparent in a quick external visual inspection of the engine when the intake manifold was removed, as they had to do to adjust the injection pump timing (which they did 3 times!).
To my way of thinking, none of them were mechanics in the real sense of the word for all of their expensive training. Topping it off was their unethical business performance; ie, when a customer comes in with a problem and you simply throw money in parts without diagnosing the issue, return the vehicle to the owner with it having the same or worse symptoms ... you've proven that you didn't diagnose the problem and didn't achieve any beneficial results. Handing it back to the customer repeatedly with a hefty bill and saying "we don't know what is causing this" but "we're the best diesel techs in town" doesn't reflect well upon one's professional performance.
From my perspective, WyoTech is a for-profit school with their own priorities. You might want to look into alternatives, such as an auto tech program at a Community College in many other places. I've seen some pretty good programs around the country which may be a lot less expensive and provide the training opportunity you desire. Many of the CC programs will qualify for tuition assistance, too, and they also have connections to job placement after graduation.
True Story: as a sales rep for an industry leading diagnostic program that incorporated field feedback analysis of problem solving & repairs, I called upon WyoTech a couple of years ago. I was told point blank by the head of their instruction that the resource service I was selling was in conflict with their philosophy of how a tech should perform in the shop and they would not condone their techs using such a resource. What I was selling was a program that would cut shop diagnostic time to a minimum based upon the collected knowledge/history of many hundreds of thousands of repair orders around the country. In this business, time is money. If a tech can properly diagnose a problem and have inside knowledge as to the easiest ways to effectively perform the repairs, that's a boon to the tech, the shop, and the vehicle owner. Yet WyoTech turned their back upon such a resource ... and there's more than several of this kind of program that they were refusing to teach or even let their students know was available to the trade. IMO, not a very wise approach to training techs to be productive and achieve results in the field.
Not Meant to Highjack the thread. Sunsprit is there any other Tech schools in Wyoming that are better and not well known?
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GTR_freak
Thanks for the help! I appreciate it.
But overall, it's a pretty cool, safe, layback nice place to love for a year or two right?
definitely cool - thus a better place to love
Laid back (I have never heard that term applied to Laramie)
1) I would do some serious research on school of choice. I researched automotive trade schools for a friend this yr. I was not impressed with findings. Not like 20 yrs ago, when a trade school was 1/4 - 1/3 College costs, and post-grad earnings similar to 4 yr grad. Costs have gone WAY up and earnings not kept pace.
2) do career research! Do you REALLY need / want to do a trade school (Seems 'for-profit trade schools have 'feeder stock' from HS and jr colleges... the perpetual Education thing...) I served an apprenticeship for a skilled trade, company payed 100% for my school, and I got fulltime wages while schooling and employment following. Apprenticeships are not fun, but a great way to learn WELL. Trade school (or any school) can turn out a degree / certificate, but the recipient may not able to deliver on the shop floor.
3) Do placement / longevity research. My renter was placed in a good job after Wyo-Tech, but it was not suited for him (training was not adequate). He has been bust'n engines, tires, and busting tail to pay off HIGH debt. He holds 3 jobs now. Advantage...is... no time for girlfriend = no need to spend ur dough on a doe. (More can go to cover debt.).
Think about it...
Be sure you have sweat in the trade a couple yrs BEFORE going to trade school, and that you are paying for it with 100% your dough, or a company is paying. You will get a lot more out of it.
Spend time / employment in your chosen specialty. You may find out you can't stand it, or can't do it. (Physical issues including allergies and stress.
Get some certs on the job, BEFORE you head to class.
No amount of Education can count as experience in a skilled trade. You gotta prove your mettle on the ground. After you get that first job... all the following are based on your WORK experience and referrals. If you don't hack it in that first job,,,, or choose to leave.. your trade school is pretty wasted.
This... http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/prove+mettle
You gotta make more money FOR your employer than what you cost him... or you are of NO VALUE. (to him). This is a tough pill to swallow. The standard shop rates do not have much 'slack-time', so you better be GOOD!.
YMMV
Not Meant to Highjack the thread. Sunsprit is there any other Tech schools in Wyoming that are better and not well known?
A fair number of community college auto tech programs are available in Wyoming, as well as regionally in the adjacent states. LCCC is in Cheyenne and Western is in Rock Springs. There's some good CC training nearby in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado.
They are reasonably well known ... but without the high profile marketing presence of a WyoTech for-profit.
Stealth makes a valid observation about having some experience and sweat invested in the profession before spending the dough to get VoTech training. For many folk, the allure of the biz is not matched by the reality of working in the biz. IMO, to be successful as an auto tech, you've got to be waking up each morning thoroughly enchanted with going to work and facing the challenges that present to diagnose and then effect repairs. It's definitely a "time is money" business. You've got to be productive with consistently good work product or you're losing money.
If it's not exciting or not interesting, and you don't have the intellect or physical abilities to complete the work to a successful outcome, this is not a career path for you to spend a lot of money on training only to be unhappy or unable to make a good living at it.
Note that on top of all the education/experience costs, you'll need to invest in personal hand tools and diagnostic equipment. Not uncommon to see mid-6 figure investments in tools and storage for successful pro techs.
Gillette's Diesel Tech program through Northern Wyoming Community College is getting rave reviews. I believe much of it has been funded by the local mines and other industry, which further helps to keep the cost in line.
Just getting a Bosch injection pump worked on is a trip for me heading out to Ogden Utah at 3 in the morning to Baker diesel and if they can work on it on to Bluffdale to Gillette Diesel. It is off a swather , but some pickup and trucks with a Cummins use the same pump.
I enjoyed Laramie when I was in College. My Son that in college now stays there year round getting a summer job so he don't have to come home and haul hay. We even looked at a couple ranches there last week
Just getting a Bosch injection pump worked on is a trip for me heading out to Ogden Utah at 3 in the morning to Baker diesel and if they can work on it on to Bluffdale to Gillette Diesel. It is off a swather , but some pickup and trucks with a Cummins use the same pump.
I enjoyed Laramie when I was in College. My Son that in college now stays there year round getting a summer job so he don't have to come home and haul hay. We even looked at a couple ranches there last week
Jody,
am surprised that with the lack of local resources to work on that pump that you didn't just USPS Priority mail it to any of the numerous Bosch diesel pump rebuilders in the region ...
if not to some of the larger diesel injection shops around the country. Denver has some good shops for this, so that's not too far for transit time.
I've got a favorite I've been doing business with for almost 45 years out in CA, but in addition to diesel injection their big claim to fame was that they worked on the mechanical gasoline fuel injection pumps from Bosch/Kugelfisher/SPICA ... and that was important for my shop working on the old mechanical FI MB's, BMW's, and AlfaRomeo's. The owner was a Bosch Factory trained service tech brought over from Germany and knew his stuff ... passed on to other owners that he's trained.
With such a common pump, it would have been no problem to get it repaired or overhauled and the turn around time, including shipping, would have been minimal. You can't even drive to the shops you've mentioned as economically as the USPS (or FEDEX or UPS) could have handled the transport.
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- thus a better place to love
