:stupid: I know about this first hand, since we have both 2 collision shops and a mechanical shop. Wyotech is a good school… HOWEVER… in my opinion its way too short of a program. If their collision program was 4 years it would be a great thing for the industry. We have hired I would say 5 people fresh out of Wyotech and its funny to see how they think they know everything, especially when they bitch because all they are doing for the 1st few months is washing cars and prepping parts. We did get 2 solid guys out of there that are really great, however it took them 4 years of being here to get that good.
If it were me doing what you want to do, I would go work somewhere for 3-4 years doing bitch work in the field that you want to get into… then work your way up, getting certified, etc… that way, in 4 years, you will have experience, respect at your job, at that point be making more than you would out of wyotech, and not have any DEBT from that money hole.
Its something like 40k and then send you out of there knowing how to cut a 1/4 panel off of a car, but not how to weld one back on :rant:
Edit - I forgot to add… one of the guys we got out of Wyotech said he learned more in one year working here under one of my best employees than he did the whole Wyotech program. He said if he could do it over again, he would work here for min. wage, get the experience and not have the debt from Wyotech.