The lack of enough trained and qualified RV technicians to go around wasn’t caused by COVID-19, but with RV sales going through the roof in 2020, that shortage has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Mark Podeyn, president of New Mexico’s Action RV, an independent RV service center, found his latest employee through an innovative partnership with Facebook and New Mexico Workforce Connections.
Action RV enrolled in a special pilot program through Facebook to find the next member of their team. Facebook launched a pilot program in New Mexico to place trained marketing interns in qualified businesses for on-the-job training and job experience for the intern’s resume.
In a joint program between the Workforce Connection of Central New Mexico (WCCNM) and Facebook, an intern was placed with Action RV this past summer. Jimmy O’Kelly was a former assisted living worker with no previous experience in the RV industry, but he enrolled in the WCCNM program, meeting all the criteria, and he was recently hired full-time by Podeyn as a Level One RV Technician.
“Out of 182 applicants, Jimmy O’Kelly really stood out against the other candidates, and we truly believe that this innovative partnership was the main catalyst that connected him to us,” said Podeyn. “I would encourage any business owner to pursue an opportunity like this and take full advantage of the programs assistance.”
As part of this partnership, New Mexico Workforce Connections pays a significant portion of O’Kelly’s wages while he trains at Action RV, and will also be paying a portion of O’Kelly’s training at a higher-level RV technical institute (RVTI), through a grant of up to $9,000 to ensure he is fully prepared for his career at Action RV.
“This pandemic has hit everyone hard, and agility during times of adversity has become increasingly important,” said Podeyn. “This program allowed both Action RV and Jimmy the space to try something new and resulted in Jimmy being able to learn valuable skills in a new career, while getting my company the help we needed. It’s been a win/win situation.”