Personally, I would use your GI Bill for a better education. Get into designing these things instead of working on them. The dealerships around here won't even think about hiring a grad of those schools if they don't have prior HD service experience also.

And from what I hear, most HD service techs don't make squat. In fact, most of them eventually venture out and start their own independent business, which is hit or miss on being successful.

 

Had an offer to teach at one of the local ( well 80 miles away local ) Wyotech centers so I went out to audit what I would be doing and what they where all about . Sum it up in one word Scam , while they had a lot kids and jail dodgers in house the the bulk of what I saw was very basic stuff anyone who can read can pick up on their own the hands on part was mostly teaching knuckleheads how to hold a wrench and not use pliers for everything .

Biggest insult was the money gig both what they charged these poor kids and the state for the programs , they sing a real song during the sales pitch reality is something else completely . To me personally what they where trying to offer for wages and what they expected you to do to get them was an insult . Push a for real education man or look for a decent indy whose willing to let somebody who wants learn hang around . I mentor younger guys whenever the opportunity comes along and the guy has the want to learn only problem I've had is most don't , that gotta have it now attitude always comes out .

 

you pay alot for being a oil changer, don`t waste your money, if your hell bent on wrenching i would just go to h.d dealer and tell them your pasion and you are military, so right out of the box you are hireable because you have a proven work eithic, and are trainable i would hire a vet ten times over a school that your looking at, they all are going to start at the bottom of the pole anyway

 

This so true. Im in collision repair and currently have an apprentice who went to lincoln tech and is doing really well however his 30k spent didnt get him the job. In fact the only cars he touched his first year were the ones he washed. By exibiting common sense and a willingness to work hard while showing up everyday got him on the floor with me to start the process of MAYBE some day becoming a journyman.

 

In my convoluted opinion
I would go to one of the Fire School Academy's
then try to get a paid job somewhere in the country

Or go with your MOS if it's available in the civilian world

 

These days ya need to put a degree on the wall, whether its washing dishes or building engines or frames. I'm a good mechanic but I'm a thing'a m'a jig & a whatcha-ma-call-it mechanic. I can fix, probably anything I am lookin' at & I can make anything in my hands work but, I have no degree, pain in my a$$; yah know?... But...Ya dig? In today's world of science & romance ya need a degree, from somewhere.

 

I'd save my money and just get a job at a dealership or independent shop. On average a tech makes around $10 an hour. When I worked at HD and the shop in general would tell the asking parents to save their money and go another direction. My advice is go to an independent shop and sweep floors until they trust you enough to do something mechanical.

 

If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life.

 

Here's my advice. Do your best to get a job at a dealership or better yet, an Indy ang just try it for a while. Be willing to take cheap pay in return for an education from someone willing to teach you. In the meantime, save your education money from the military until you decide if this is what you want to do. If it is, you can decide if you want to get an overpriced education in wrenching or if you'd rather spend your money on the business side of it and get some classes in business management. Then you'll have the experience to do the work and the education to run your own shop.

 

Save your $$$. Do not spend any time or $ with them. Wyotech is a diploma mill!