Alternative educational pathways such as for-profit trade schools are still growing in acceptance in the U.S. as a
safe, viable choice for certain types of learners that produce positive employment outcomes. Despite credible
data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources that demonstrate the market demand for skilled
automotive technicians over the next two decades, UTI continued to face an uphill climb in its evangelism to
local high schools and the general public for trade school education. UTI engaged Westbound to promote the school's track record of success (i.e., nearly 90 percent of its graduates
get in industry jobs for which they were trained) in the media and help educate local high schools about its
positive employment outcomes, especially among diverse populations. We implemented an integrated
communications program across UTI's three California campuses in Long Beach, Rancho Cucamonga and
Sacramento that leveraged media relations and community outreach to highlight student success stories,
industry partnerships that generated job placements for graduates, industry data that supported job demand,
and campus tours for influencers to see UTI's state-of-the-art classrooms and labs.