Since RVs continue to increase in popularity, with 72 million Americans intending to go RVing this year, RV technicians are highly sought-after to ensure that RVers are on the road.
RV Technical Institute (RVTI) began a journey this year to train and recruit at least 1,000 new RV technicians into the field from outside the RV industry to address this increasing demand, according to the News & Insights of RV Industry Association (RVIA).
This means that there will be more skilled technicians diagnosing and fixing RVs, getting RVers out on the road quicker than ever before, and dramatically improving the overall experience for consumers.
RVTI has been working on achieving this through its work with the Indiana Westville Correctional Center. RVTI is delighted to announce that 12 incarcerated students who attended the technician training course at Westville have passed the exam and are now certified technicians preparing to work in the RV industry after their release.
The program looks to be gaining positive attention with the rest of the prison population,” said Shane Schwartzkopf, an RVTI instructor at the facility. In the future, I look to expand the program into other facilities in the area, if possible, and to generate a plethora of skilled technicians willing and able to begin their careers within the RV industry.
“The RV industry is growing like we have never seen before. And that means there is a lot of opportunity for a career as an RV technician here in Indiana and across the country,” added RV Technical Institute Executive Director Curt Hemmeler. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Indiana Department of Correction to provide this training to the students at the Westville Correctional Facility and look forward to seeing them join the industry upon their release.”