RV Certification Program For Women Looking At Expansion

A pilot program in Elkhart designed to bring more women into the recreational vehicle industry has proven successful, and plans are already in place for growth. The RV Women’s Alliance, based in the St. Joseph County town of Osceola, partnered with the RV Technical Institute in Elkhart to establish the first all-female technician’s certification program. RVTI Director of Recruitment Tracy Anglemeyer says the partners sought 12 women for the pilot, but ended up doubling that number after receiving more than 100 applicants.

In an interview with Inside Indiana Business, Anglemeyer said they discovered a barrier to entry into the RV industry for women of which they weren’t previously aware.

“The ladies felt more comfortable in this setting of being with other ladies to ask some questions. They said they never would’ve asked these questions and learn what they did learn if they were in a mixed environment,” said Anglemeyer. “So now, we’re learning a lot…of how to probably teach a little differently or open up the aspect of the room to all questions. The learning that occurs because of the questions that are asked was key to this.”

The RVTI says the women who participated in the pilot ranged in age from early 20s to early 60s. Some of the women had some RV mechanical experience while others had none.

The program taught a Level 1 technician curriculum, which Anglemeyer says focuses on seven different areas of an RV, including electrical, plumbing and propane systems. The RVTI website says a Level 1 technician is a “pre-delivery inspector (PDI) technician with a proven skill set to prepare an RV for customer delivery by verifying the operation of all components.”

Read the full article from Inside Indiana Business here.