RV Technical Institute Has Successful Year Of Recruitment

As the RV Technical Institute’s “Year of Recruitment” draws to a close, the Institute is excited to announce it has exceeded its goal to recruit over 1,000 students from outside the industry this year.

“We surpassed our goal by 10%,” said Curt Hemmeler, Executive Director of the RV Technical Institute. “Our team is really excited about this, and we’re looking forward to building on this success next year.”

The RV Technical Institute also now has at least one student at 750 RV dealerships. These goals, which were set at the beginning of the year to meet the ongoing demand for skilled RV technicians, will mean more expertly trained technicians are available to diagnose and repair RVs, ultimately improving the consumer experience.

The RV Technical Institute embarked on their mission at the beginning of 2022 to recruit and train more RV technicians. Named the “Year of Recruitment,” the Institute intended to recruit at least 1,000 new RV technicians from outside the RV industry, meaning more expertly trained technicians would be available to diagnose and repair RVs.

This recruitment effort was accomplished through a robust consumer marketing campaign targeting job seekers into the growing and desirable RV technician field, in addition to partnerships with organizations outside the industry including high schools, trade schools, prisons, and government training programs. One of the messages that resonates with recruits is that the RV industry can offer quality pay and on-the-job training without the burden of considerable debt that comes with a typical four or even two-year college degree.

In 2023, the RV Technical Institute will continue to focus on recruiting more RV technicians into the industry through an increased marketing campaign and presence at consumer and industry shows. They are also expanding the number of partnerships with RV dealerships across the country and aim to have Institute-trained students at 900 dealerships, up from 750. The team is also planning on increasing their 1,000 recruits to 1,200.

While the Institute recruits and retains existing technicians, their training program will be expanding their training offering through the launch of Level 3 certification. Level 3 is delivered in partnership with RV industry suppliers on specific types of components, helping technicians increase their skillset to be able to perform advanced diagnostics, troubleshooting, and repairs on those systems and components. Level 3 technicians can earn a certification in one or more areas, including Appliance Specialist, Chassis Specialist, Electronic Specialist, Electrical Specialist, and Slide-out Specialist.

Another significant area of opportunity on the recruitment front is attracting more women into the RV technician field. In 2022, the Institute partnered with the RV Women’s Alliance to offer an all-female RV technician class. The program was piloted in August 2022 and resulted in 22 women successfully completing the training and testing to become RV Technical Institute Certified Level 1 RV Technicians. After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback, the program is being expanded nationwide next year. In 2023, in conjunction with the RV Women’s Alliance, the Institute will offer five of these all-female technician classes across the United States, including classes in Texas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Indiana.

“Thank you to everyone who helped us reach this goal,” says Hemmeler. “This achievement took a large amount of teamwork and dedication, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish next year. We’re eager to continue this work and we look forward to seeing the impact it has on the consumer’s ability to quickly get back on the road.”