The RV Technical Institute is set to begin a comprehensive research project on current RV technician needs across the industry and how the RVTI training program can best support the end consumer through training and recruitment, according to the RV Industry Association.
The study, developed in conjunction with Cairn Consulting Group, is designed to provide a detailed investigation into the perceptions among a cross-section of representatives within the key constituencies who will be impacted by the Institute’s training programs. These core groups include RV dealership owners and principals, RV service managers and current and prospective RV technicians. Results from the study are expected this spring.
“RVTI aims to be the industry leader for data on RV technicians and their training needs,” said RVTI Executive Director Curt Hemmeler. “The future of this program depends on building a program not only based on where we know the industry needs to go, but also on the realities and needs of the RV industry today.”
“The dealer input sought in this study is critical to providing valuable information on recruiting, retaining and training new RV techs,” said RV Dealer Association President and RVTI board member Phil Ingrassia. “The results of the study will also provide dealers with benchmarks they can use for evaluating training for their current techs.”
The research will gather specific insights and data from each of the key constituencies. For dealer owners and principals, the research will seek to determine their views surrounding investment in training and certification for their technicians, including the need for incentives such as scholarship programs or grants.
Surveys of service managers will examine views on training, certification, gaps, anticipated future needs, effectiveness of scholarship or grant programs and how many of their existing technicians need to be trained.
Current RV technicians will be surveyed to gain insights into their tenure in the industry, demographic profile, current views on training and certification, commitment to staying in the industry, incentives needed for engaging in further training or certification, approach to career development and evaluation of gaps in their experiences.
Lastly, the research will include surveys to determine the key demographics of prospective RV technicians as well as identify barriers to entry into the industry, whether it is lack of interest, language barriers, or access to resources for training.
This initiative is based on the RV Technical Institute’s aim at being a data-driven organization focused on growing the number of trained RV technicians and reducing the repair event cycle time.
