Curt Hemmeler is executive director of the RV Training Institute. Below is a letter he issued on Tuesday.
Good Afternoon,
The fall training season is upon us and the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) has been diligent in ensuring critical RV technician training continues, unhindered by the effects of the coronavirus.
Monday, Oct. 12, we launched a brand new self-paced, online training program for the Institute’s Level One course, and we could not be more excited about the flexibility it offers technicians. We are currently seeing a seismic shift in how people are educated, and the adoption of new online approaches will make our curriculum accessible to a much larger number of current and future RV technicians. This on-demand, immersive training platform means technicians will not be held back from pursuing quality education by time, travel or other restrictions.
The addition of the new self-paced online training program is just another way to engage in the RV industry’s gold-standard of training. Interest from Authorized Learning Partners continues to grow with 14 partners now delivering the curriculum across the country.
One of those partners is The Windham School District, a provider of educational services to prison inmates in Texas. Soon, they will administer their first Level One course, providing hands-on training to 28 female inmates. Another recent signing was with the South Bend Elkhart Regional Partnership, where our service technician training joined Indiana’s Next Level Jobs program which provides free training for Hoosiers and reimbursements to Indiana employers for training completed through eligible training partners. Indiana residents will be able to take advantage of this program when RVTI’s in-person classes resume in January. Both the Windham School and the South Bend Elkhart Regional Partnership join the Camping World Technical Institute and others from across the country who will be using RVTI’s training to educate their technicians.
As the industry transitioned to the new RV technician certification program, we wanted to make sure that the program allowed experienced technicians the opportunity to reach their level of training within the program, without needing to take the class. That’s why, in consultation with industry subject matter experts and the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI), we recently delivered a written test for both Level One and Level Two. NOCTI is the certifying body that tests students on their abilities to perform the skills needed in a career. We now have a thorough proficiency exam that helps techs working in the industry today get right into the career path they want based on their current skills.
Quality training is certainly not complete without hands-on skill development. The RV Technical Institute team and I have been eagerly looking forward to when we could welcome students back to our Elkhart campus for in-person training. To that end we have begun to add classes for Level One and Two starting in January 2021 with dates going through July.
As we witness exponential growth in the number of new RVers hitting the road and enjoying the gifts that an active outdoor lifestyle provides, the need for qualified and trained service technicians is vital to ensuring a great consumer experience well into the future. Our continued investment and support from the RV industry demonstrates our commitment to meeting that challenge.
Sincerely,
Curt Hemmeler
RV Technical Institute Executive Director