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ORLANDO, FL-BMW of North America has figured out a solution to the shortage of service technicians at its U.S. dealerships. Recruit and train new ones themselves, with the help of Universal Technical Institute (UTI).
The German automaker recently opened its second Service Technician Education Program (STEP) center here. It's just blocks from many of the area's tourist attractions. The Orlando center follows a successfil UTI-BMW techniciantraining venture in Phoenix, AZ. Another, in Bergen County, NJ, will open later this year.
BMW of North America President Victor Doolan says there are now about 1 million BMWs on U.S. roads, and as reliable as they are, "they do require service from time to time." He adds that as the automaker continues to add technological value to its vehicles, "we need more qualified technicians."
The BMW STEP concept was developed by the automaker with UTO's assistance...