RV Industry's Record Growth has Created Many Employment Opportunities, Especially in the Service Sector

    RESTON, Va., April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The RV industry has
 enjoyed five straight years of record manufacturer-to-dealer shipments. The
 result of this explosive growth is the creation of an abundance of job
 openings at all levels within the industry, from sales to service to
 administration.
     "We are a growing, vibrant industry that needs more workers," says
 Richard Coon, president of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association
 (RVIA). "We expect this growth trend to continue over the next decade. It's
 a great time to begin a career in the RV industry."
     As an example of what the industry is doing to attract more workers, a
 consortium of RV manufacturers, including Oregon-based Monaco Coach Corp.
 and Country Coach, recently launched a program that includes:
     -- hosting RV manufacturing tours for guidance counselors, high school
        teachers and students.
     -- producing a DVD that features RV career information and distributing it
        widely to high school and community college students.
     -- working with a local community college to develop a curriculum to
        address RV careers.
     As the industry builds more RVs, openings abound for new service
 technicians. In recent years, community and technical colleges through a
 nationwide program have provided a steady stream of service technicians to
 the RV industry. The National Recreation Vehicle Technical Institute
 (NRVTI) offers an RV industry-developed curriculum that trains students in
 the diverse technical fields required of an RV service technician.
     RVIA's NRVTI recently added Spartanburg (SC) Community College to its
 program, the third tech school in the last three years and seventh overall
 to offer training in RV maintenance and repair.
     "These RV education programs train students to go from school directly
 to work at dealerships," says Wade Crounse, RVIA director of education.
     The RV industry also has discovered that the NRVTI program is an
 effective tool to attract new workers to the industry. "Many students learn
 about RV career opportunities when they come across the RV-related
 curriculum offered by the community colleges in our program," says Steve
 Plemmons, who owns an RV dealership in North Carolina and works closely
 with Forsyth Technical College in Winston-Salem. "These training programs
 are definitely attracting people to work in our industry."
     In addition to Spartanburg and Winston-Salem, the NRVTI program is
 taught in schools in Elkhart, IN; Lake City, FL; Bethlehem, PA; Waco, TX;
 and Fitzgerald, GA.
     Because technology is constantly changing, the RV industry has
 developed education programs to provide continual training to increase the
 knowledge and skills required of RV service technicians. RV techs works on
 very sophisticated machines that include intricate electrical, plumbing and
 HVAC systems.
     "Kids are naturally drawn to cars, but we are developing ways to reach
 young people about the career opportunities in the RV field, especially the
 need for technicians," says Crounse. "We stress the value of continual RV
 education and learning technical skills that people will be able to use
 throughout their lives. Good RV techs are always in demand."
     Bruce Antonwich, 48, spent 23 years in the printing business before he
 decided to switch careers in 2003. He enrolled in the NRVTI program at
 Northampton Community College in at Bethlehem, Pa where he learned to
 become a service technician and ultimately earn certification by RVIA.
     As a student, Antonwich got hands-on training at DeWalt's RV dealership
 in Easton, Pa. where he's now a full-time employee. He enjoys his new trade
 and is glad he made the career switch.
     "I love the day-to-day challenge of maintaining and repairing RVs,"
 says Antonwich. "One thing I like about it is not doing the same thing
 every day. I also enjoy interacting with our customers, talking to them and
 explaining how their RV systems work. I hope I can continue doing this
 until I retire."
     The starting pay for a majority of RV service technicians ranges from
 $20,000-$40,000 while most earn between $40,000-$70,000 after several years
 on the job.
     Along with NRVTI schools, there are several industry-wide,
 Internet-based education programs that help dealership employees grow in
 their careers and achieve better results:
     Distance Learning Network (DLN) -- In addition to Northampton Community
 College, The RV Training Institute at Lake City (FL) Community College, in
 partnership with the RV Dealers Association (RVDA) and the Florida RV Trade
 Association offers a distance-learning program for the RV industry. DLN
 provides video-based training on RV repair and maintenance via the
 Internet.
     RV Learning Center -- Provides certification programs and resources
 aimed at educating dealers and their employees on all aspects of the
 dealership, from parts to service to the sales floor. The RV Learning
 Center's website (http://www.rvlearningcenter.com) includes a Career
 Opportunities section that highlights the various positions that RV
 dealerships offer those looking for a career and how to contact a local
 dealer.
     E-Learning (http://www.RVST.org) -- An RVIA interactive program to keep
 all service technicians up to date in the latest products and technology
 also is under development and expected to be available later this year.
     To learn more about career opportunities in industry, visit
 http://www.rvia.org and click on technical information and training.
     CONTACT: Fran Connors                    Bill Baker
              Barton Gilanelli & Associates   Director of Communications
              215-592-8601                    703-620-6003 ext. 331
              fran@bartgil.com                bbaker@rvia.org
 
 

SOURCE Recreation Vehicle Industry Association