Inmates at the Worcester House of Correction in Massachusetts will leave jail with a marketable skill in high demand nationwide after completing training to become Level 1 RV Service Technicians.
These inmates completed their training last week as a result of a partnership between Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis and the RV Technical Institute (RVTI). The class is Worcester House of Correction’s first RVTI group to complete their training.
The inmates are scheduled for release this fall or later next year.
“Our goal is to recruit, train, and certify RV service technicians,” RVTI Executive Director Curt Hemmeler said. “The RV Technical Institute’s hands-on training and instruction, created by top RV industry experts, provides students with the experience and expertise needed by manufacturers, dealerships, and repair shops nationwide. Our curriculum is available through partnerships like this that allow local educators provide the hands-on training. When they are ready for work, we will also help them find a job.”
The program instructor was RVTI Level 4 certified technician Chris Dougherty of Dougherty RV Consulting. Dougherty will be available to train the graduates after release on the Level 2 curriculum, covering basic diagnostics, troubleshooting and repairs.
Bob Zagami, executive director of the New England RV Dealers Association (NERVDA), is working with New England-area RV dealerships to place the graduates with jobs.
The 40-hour course included work with propane, electrical, water, appliances, generator, and chassis systems. Training included 4.5 hours of hands-on work with a travel trailer donated by Fuller RV Rentals and Sales in Boylston, Massachusetts.
“The RVTI program creates opportunities for participants to secure high paying (jobs),” Evangelidis said. “Nothing is more important than the dignity and self-respect of earning a paycheck.”
